Conversations on the plurality of worlds

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CONVERSATIONS

O N T H E

PLURALITY

WORLDS

By Monlieur F^o n t e n e l r. h.
'Tranflatedfrom the Lafl Paris Edition,

Wh(rci?t are many Improvements throughout ;
avd feme New O b s l r v a r i o K s o7i feveral Late
Discovert %s which have heen made in the
HEAVENS.

By William Gardiner, Efq ;

LONDO N:

Printed for A. Bettes worth, at the Ped-Lyori
in P'rter.Nofier.Bow, and E. Curll, at the Dial
and Bdle^ aj^-iinft Sr. DutjJl.ui'iChuiQli m ileetfireet.
1715. . (Price z s. 6 d.')

feS

T^M^ •«♦■ »fc» ♦«♦ ♦«♦ ♦■« •«* ♦«» ♦»♦ •*♦■ *J(* *•* ♦■* *^»» ~I» T«» •i* *»* •«♦ *»•■ •■•■ ♦)!♦ '*^* •*♦■ ♦«! ♦*■♦■

Monlieur Fontenelle's

PREFACE.

f***^^® ^Mjretty much m the Cafi
1 M ^f Qc^i'O, when he undertook
^@^@ ^^ '^^^^^^ <9/Philofophy in his
own Tongue^ there being then
no Booh upon that SuhjeHy hut what
were written in Greek ; He was toldy
as he i7tform'^d us^ that he would take
Pains to no Purj^o/ej lecaufefuchas were
Admirer ^ of Thilofbphj', would make ufe
<?/ Greek Authors^ a?id not read Latin
ones^ vohich treated of It hut at Second^
ha?id\ and tbofe who had no fuch Relijh
for this Science^ would never trouhle
their He.f^ds with either Greek or La-
tin. Cicero reply* d^ it might happen quite
otherwife \ for^ fays he, the great Eafe

A 2 Teople

Monfieur Fontenelle's \

PeofJe will find in rending Latin Boohs^ [
tvill temft thofe to he Philofophers who \
are none ; and they who already are Phi* ^
lofo^hers^ hy reading Greek Books^ will !
ie very glad to fee how the SuljeH is ;
handled in Latin. I

Cicero anight with good Reafonanfwer \
as he didj hecaufe the Excellency of his i
Genius J a7id the great Refutation he had ;
acquv/^d^ warranted the Sue cefs of all he ]
wrote : But in a Defign^ not much unlike \
his^ I am far from havingthofe Grounds i
of Confidence which he had. My furfofe \
is to Difcourfe of Philofophy, lut not di* \
refily in aPhilofofhicalManner-, and to J
raife it tofuch a Pitchy that it pall tiot I
.le too dry and infifid a Suhje^ to fleafe \
Gentlemen \ nor too mean and trifling to \
entertain Scholars, Should lie told (as \
Cicero was) that fuch a Difcourfe as \
this, would not fleafe the Learned^ le- \
caufe it can teach them nothing ; 7wr the \
Illiterate^ Itcaufe they will have no mind \
to learn \ I will 7iot anfwer as he did : j
It may he^ endeavouring to fleafe every j
Bodvy I have fleas'* d no Body) now^ to\

keef]

PREFACE.

keep the Mi Me hetwixttwo Extreams^
is Jo very difficulty thatj I lelieve^ I
paU never depre to put my [elf a Second
Time to the like Trouble.

Ifljhould acquaint tbofe who are to
read this Book^ and have any Kjtowledge
of Natural Philofophy, that I do not pre-
tend to Inftru£t, but only to Divert them^
by prefenting to^ their View in a gay and
pleafmg Drefs, what they have already
feen in a more grave and folid Habit :
Not but They^ to zvhom the SubjeH is
New^ may be both Diverted ^«<^ Inftruft-
ed ; The firfi vinll aH contrary to my Inten-
tion^ if they look for Profit, aitd the fe--
condy iftheyfeekfor nothing /?^^Pleafure«

I have cho fen that Tart of Philofophy
which is moil like to excite Curiofty ;
for Ithi?i]i7i9thing can concern usmore^
than to enquire how this World, which
we inhabit y is made; and whether there
be any other Worlds like it^ which are
ajfo inhabited as This isf But after all^.
His at every Body'^s Difcretion, how far
they will run their Difquifvtions : They
who have any Thoughts to lofe^ may

A 3 throw

Monfieur Fontenelle's

throw them away u^on fuch SuhjeRs as
thefe :, lut^ Iffip^oje fuch as can f^end
their Time letter^ will not he at fo vain
andfruitlefs an Expence.

In thefe Difcourfes^ I have introduced
a Lady^ to he infirutiedin Things of which
ff)e never he^rdy and I have made ufe of
this HHion^ to render the Book the more
accepalle^ and to give Encouragement
to Gentlewomen^ hy the ExamJ^le of one
of their own Sex^ who without any Su^
^er natural PartSy or Tin^iure of Learn-
ings undtrfUnds what is faid to her ,•
and without any Co?ifufto?i^ rightly affre-
hends what Vortexes and other Worlds
are : And why may not there he a Wo?nan
like this imaginary Countefs, fnce her
Concepions are no other than fuch as fhe
could not chufc hut have ?

To penetrate into things either olfcure
in themfelves^ or but dinrkly exj^rejjedj re-
quires deep Meditation^ and an earneft
Application of the Mind\ hut here^ no^
thing more is requijite than to Readj and
to imprint an Idea of what is read^ in
the Taney y which will certainly he clear

enough.

P KEF ACE.

enough, IJIjall dejtre no more of the Fair
Sex^ than that they will ferufe this Sy-
flem of Philofophy, with the feme /?f-
fliCi'tion that tuey do a Romance or
Novel when they wouldretai/i toe Piot^
or find out all its Beauties, ^Tis true^
that the Ideas of this are hf farmliar
to moft Ladies^ than thoft of Romancesj
hut they are not more oLfcure ; for at
moji\ twice or tibrice thinh^>gy will ren-
der "^em ver)'j^erfpicuous,

I have not composed 0t Airy Syftem,
ziohich has no Foundation at all : / have
made ufe of fotne true Philofofhical Jr-
guments , and of as many as I thought
necejjary ; hut it falls out very luckily
in this Suhjetl, that f/j^ Phyfical-Ideas
ar^ in tPt-mfelves very diverting-, and
as they convince and fatisfie Keofon^ fo
at the fcmic Time they ire fen t to the Ima-
gination a Trofpeci which looks as if it
were made on turpcfe tofleafe It.

When I meet with any Fragments
which are ?wt of this kind^ 1 fut thtm
into fome pretty firange drcfs ; Virgil
has done the like in his Georgicks^ wbe7i

his

Monfieur Fontenelle's

his SuijeH is very dry^ he ^Jornsitwith
fle^jliM Digrejjiofi^ : Ovid h/is done the
fame in bis Art of Love, and tbd^ his
SubjeB he of it felf very "^leafing^ yet
he thought it tedious to talk of Nothing
hut Love- My Sul'jeB has more need of
Digrejfions than his^ yet I have made
ufe of'^em very f^aringly^ andof fuch on-
ly^ as the statural Liberty of Converfa-
tion allows: I have f lac* d them only
where 1 thought my Readers would he
f leased to meet with "^em ; the great eji
fart of^em are in the Beginning of the
Booky hecaufe the Mind cannot at firfi
he fo well acqiiainted with the Principal
Ideas which are prefented to it ; and^ in-
a Word^ they are taken from the Suhjeti
itfelfy or^ are as near to ity as is pojji-
hie.

I have fane/ d nothing concerni?ig the
Jnhalitants of the many Worlds, which
mujtbave he en wholly Fabulous and Chi-
merical ; I have f aid all that can he rea-
fonably thought of them, and the ViJio?is
which I have added, havefome real Foun-
dation j what is true, and what isfalfe

are

PREFACE.

me minted together^ hutfo rs to le eaflly
diftif/gui(l)*d: I will not undertake to ju^
Jiijiefofantajikd and odd a Comj^qfttioUy
^vbich is tht^y'incifal Point of the iVorl^,
and jetfor which I can give no very good
Reafon,

There remains 710 more to le [aid in
this Preface^ hut to a fort ofPeofle^ who
perhaps will 7iot he eafjljfatisfied^ tho* I
have good Reafo;:s to give "^em^ hut he-
caufe the heft that can Legive^i^ zvillnot
cofitmt ^em : They are thoje fcrufulous
Perfonsj who imagine^ th^t the placing *
Inhabitants ^;y where^ hut t^l'On the
Earth, will prove dangerous to Reli-
gion: Ihiow t)ow excejjively tender fome
are in Religious Matters^ and therefore
J am very unwilling to give any Offence
in what I puhliJJjj to People whoft Opi-
nion is contrary to that I maintain: But
Religion can receive no Prejudice hy my
Syfem^ which Jills an Infinity of Worlds
with Inhabitants, if a little Error of
the Imagination he hutreiiiffd. When
His faid the Moon is inhabited, fome
prefently fancy that there are fuch Men

there^

Monfieur Fontenelle's.

there ^ as we are\ and Church-Men^ with^
cut any more ado^ think him an Atheifi^
who is of that Ofmion. None ^/ AdamV
Fofierity ever travePd fo far as the
Moon, nor were any Colonies ever fent
thither '-i the Men then that are in the
Moon, are not the Sons ^/Adam : And
here again Theology would he pizled^
if there Jhould be Men anywhere^ who
never defcended from him. To fay no
more^ this is the great Difficulty to which
all others may he reduced : To clear it by
a larger ExvlapMion^ Imuft make ufe
of Terms which deferve greater Refpecfy
than to fut into a Treatife^ fo far from
leing ferious as this is. But perhaps
there is no need of anfwering the Olje-
ciion^ for it concerns no Body but the
Men in ^/;^Moon; andlneveryet faid
there are Men there • // any ask what
the Inhabitants there are^ if they be ?iot
Men? AUIcanfayis^ that I never faw
^emb ^^^d ^tls not becaufe I have feen
'*em^ that I fpeak of ^cm : Let none now
think J that Ifiy there are no Men in the
Moon, ^ur^oftly to avoid the Oljeciion

made

PREFACE.

'i

made againfl me ; for it appears ^tis mt" \
{ojjihle there Jlwulu he a?i) Men there ^ ac- \
cording to the Idea / have framed of that \
injihite Diverjjtj md Variety^ which is
to he olferv*d in the Works' of Nature ;
this Idea run^ throi'gh the whole Booky i
i2nd caunot he contradicted hy any Philo^ j
foj^her : Nay^ Ihelieve^ IJhall only hear \
this Ohjetiion ftarted hy Cuch as pall
ffeak ofthefe Difcourfes, without having
read them. But is ibis a Point to he \
defended on ? No^ on the contrary, I .
Jhould more ^rohMy fear, that the Oh* -
jettion might he made to me from many
Tajjages. ^ ^ !

The Reader will find in this Edition, '
lefides many Iml'rovements if^erfpers'^d \
in the Bpdy of the Work, one Ne^^^ Con- :
verfation, in which I have ^ut together \
thofe Reafonings, which I had omitted in \
the foregoing ones ; and have fuhjoin^d j
fome Late Difcovcries inthe Firmament, A
feveral of which were never yet made \
Puhlich.

THE'

THE

CONTENTS

Of each Evening's

CONVERSATlO>J.

I. T^hat the Earth is a Vianet

•*• which turns on it Self, and

round the Sun. Page, 4.

IL That the Moon is an Inhabited
World. p. J 7.

III. Some Particulars concerning the
World in the Moon^ and Proofs of
tlie other Planets being likewife
Inhabited p. 70.

IV* Some Particulars concerning the
Wodds of Vemts^ Mtrcury^ Mars^
Jupiter and Saturn. p. 100.

V. 1 hat the fix'd Stars are To many
Suus^ every one of which gives
Light to a World. p. i jj.

VI. Some New Olfervations that
confirm what has been laid down
in the preceeding DifiO-urfes^ and fe-
veral late D^jcoveries^ which have
been made in the Heaveits,

DIS^

( • )

DISCOURSES

ON THE

Plurality of W o r l d s^^

To Monfieur i^ ^ ^ -^

O give you, Sir^ (as you de-
fire ) a full Account liow I
pafs'd my Time at the Coun-

tefs of D^'^^s Country

Seat, would make a large Volume ;
and what is yet worfe, a Volume of
Phik'foj-^hj : Whereas the Entertain-
ments you expe£l are of another
kind, viz. Danciitg^ Gaming^ Huntings
mftead of which you muft take up with

B Vortexes^

2 TDifcourfes on the

Vortexes^ Planets^ and New Worlds ;
thefe were the SubjeQ: of our Conver-
fation. Now, as good Luck wouM
have it youVe a Philofopher, fo that it
will be no great Difappointment ; nay,
I fancy, you'll be pleas'd, that I have
brought over the Countefs to our Par-
ty, we could not have gainM a more
confiderable Perfon, for Youth arid
Beauty are ever ineftimable : If IVif
dom wouM appear with Succefs to Man-
kind, think you flie could do it more
.effedually than in the Perfon of the
Countefs ? And yet was her Company
but half fo agreeable.- 1 am perfwaded all
the World wou'd run Mad after Wifdom.
But, tho' I tell you all the Difcourfe I
Jiad with tlie Lady, youmuft not expe£t
Miracles . from me. It is impolTible
without her Wit, to exprefs her Senti-
ments, in the fame manner flie deli-
. verM them : For my part, I think her
very Learned, from the great Difpofi-
tion ihe has to Learning. It is not
peering upon Books that makes a Man
V v^liolar. I know many who have

done

Plurality ^WORLDS. j

done nothing clfe, and yet I fancy are
not one tittle the Wifer : But, perhaps
you expeft, before I enter upon my
Subjed, I fliould defcribe the Scituati-
on, and Building of the Countefs's
Houfe, many great Palaces have been
turnM infide outward upon far lefs Oc-
cafion : But, I Intend to fave you and
my felf that labour ; let it fuffice, tliat
I tell you, I found no Company with
the Lady, which I w^as not at all dif-
pleas'd with ; the tw^o firft Days drainM
me of all the News I brought from
Paris ; w^hat 1 now fend you is the reil:
of our Converfation, which I will di-
vide into fo many Parts, as wc were
Evenings together.

^ 5^ ^ i*J I'J : ^ *^ ^ i^i -5J ^55 : »^ot ^ . »v,*i ;j't y.^ ,^»

B 2 Thi

4 Difcourfes on the

The Firft Evening's

Co

NVERSATION.

That tide Earth is a Planet which turns
on it felfy and round the Sun.

N E Eveniiig after Supper, we
went to take a turn in the
=., Park, the Air, from the Heat

^^*^^ of the preceeciing Day was ex-
tremely refrediing ; .the Mooii was a-
bout an Hour high, and her Lultre
between the Trees, made an agreeable
mixture of Light and Shade ; the Stars
were array'd in all their Glory, and
not a Cloud appeared throughout the
Azure Sky ; I was mufing on this aw-
ful ProfpeSt, but who can think long
of the Moon or Stars, in the Company
of a Pretty Woman? 1 am much mi-
ftaken if that's a Time for Contempla-
tion : Well Madam J /^ J /, to the Qoun-

Plurality ^/WORLDS, 5^

tefs^ is not the Night as Pleafant as the
Day ? The Day, fays pe, hke a fair
Beauty, is clear and dazling ; but the
Night, like a brown Beauty, more foft
and moving. You are Generous Ma-
dam, reflyed 7, to prefer the Brown.
You who have all the Charms that be-
long to the Fair : But, is there any
Thing more Beautiful in Nature tiian
the Day ? The Heroines of Romances
are generally fair, and that Beauty mufl
be perfefl:, which has all the Advanta-
ges of Imagination. Tell me not, [ays
Jbe^ of perfeft Beauty, nothing can be
fo that is not moving. But fmce you
talk of Romances, why do Lovers in
their Songs and Elegies addrefs them-
felves to the Night ? 'Tis tlie Night,
Madam, Jhys 7, that crowns their Joys,
and therefore deferves their Thanks.
But 'tis the Night, fays pe^ that hears
their Complaints, and how comes it to
pafs, the Day is fo httle trufted with
their Secrets ? I confefs, Madam, f/ys
7, the Night has fomewhat a more
Melancholy Air than the Day 5 we fan-

B J cy

6 Difcourfes on the

cy the Stars march more filently than
'the Sun^ and our Thoughts wander
with the more liberty, whilft we think
all the World at reft but our felves :
Befides, the Day is more uniform ; we
fee nothing but the Sun, and Light in
the Firmament ; whilft the Night
Ihews us variety of Objefts, and gives
us ten Thoufand Stars, which infpire
us with as many pleafant Ideas. She
reply'd, what you fay is true, I love the
Stars^ there is fomewhat charming ia
them, and I could almoft be angry witli
the Stm for effacing 'em. And I can't,
fays 7, pardon him, for keeping all thofe
"Worlds from my fight : What Worlds,.
fays pe^ looking earneftly upon uie,.
whu V/orJJs do you mean ?

I beg your Pardon, Madam, fays /,
you have put me upon my Folly, and I
begin to Rave : What Folly, fays fie, I
difcover none ? Alas, fays 7, I am a-
fliam'd, I muft own it, I have liad a
ftrong Fancy that every Star is a World.
I will not fwear that it is true, but muft
think fo, becaufe it is fo Pleafant to be-
lieve

Plurality of WOKLDS. 7--

Iieve it ; 'Tis a Fancy come into my
Head, which is very diverting. If your-
Folly be fo div^erting, pn's the Countefs^
Pray make me fenfible of it ; provided
the Pleafure be fo great, I will believe
as much of the Stars as you v/ould have
me. A Diverfion, Madam, y>/)'j- 7, 'tis •
a Diverfion I fear you Vv^on't relifli, 'tis •
not like one of MoUere\ Plays, 'tis a>
Pleafure rather of the Fancy than of the
Jtidgment. I hope, reflfdjhe^ you do not
think me incapable of it *, teach me your
Stars^ I will fliew you the contrary. .
No, No, reply dl^ it fliall never be faid
I was talking Phtlofofhy at Ten a Clock
at Night, to the moft amiable Crea-
ture in the Univerfe, find your Philo-
foPhers fomewhere clfe.

But vain were my Excufes, who
could refill fuch Charms? I was forc'd
to yield, and yet I knew not where to
begin ;" for to a Perfon who underftood
nothing of A^atural'T/jilofjph% you
muft go a great way about to prove -
that tliQ Ea^th may be a Planet^ the
TIauets fo many Earths^ and all the -

B 4 Stars

S Difcourfes on the

Stars Worlds ; however, to give her a
general Notion of Philofofhy^ at laft I
refoIvM on this Method. Madam,y^j'j'
J, all Philofophy is founded upon thefe
two Propofitions. i . That we are too
fl)OYt fight ed^ or, 2. We are too curious :,
for, if our Eyes w^ere better than they
are, we fhould foon fee whether the
Stars were Worlds or not ; and if on
the other fide we were lefs Curious, we
fhould not care whether the Stars are
Worlds or not, which I think is much
to the fame Purpofe. But the Bufinefs
is, we have a mind to know more than
we fee : And again, if we could dif-
cern well what we do fee, it would be
fo much known to us; but we See
Things quite otherwife than they are.
So that your true Fhilofopher will not
believe what he does fee, and is al-
ways conjefturing at what he doth not,
which I think is a Life not much to be
envy'd : Upon this I fancy to my felf,
that Nature very much refembles an
Opera^ where you ftand, you do not
fee the Stage as it really is ) but as 'tis

plac'd

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 9

placed with Advantage, and all the
Wheels and Movements hid, to make
,the Reprefentation the more agreeable :
Nor do you trouble your felf how, or
by what Means the Machines are
mov'd, tho' certainly an Engineer in
the Pit is afFe£ted with what does not
touch you ; he is pleasM with the Mo-
tion, and is demonftrating to , himfelf
on what it depends, and how it comes
to pafs. This Engineer is like a Philo-
fopher, tho' the Difficulty be greater
on the Philofopher's part, the Machines
of the Theatre being nothing fo Curi-
ous as thofe of Nature, which difpofes
her Wheels and Springs fo out of fight,
that we have been a long while guefs-
ing at the Movement of the Univerfe.
Let us imagine, fome of the Ancient
Sages, to be at an Opera, the Tytbago-
r^s\ the Tlato\, the Jri/Utie\ and
all the Wife Men who have made fuch
a Noife in the World, for thefe many
Ages : We will iiippofe 'em at the Re-
prefentation of Pbadon^ where they
fee the afpiring Youth lifted up by the

B 5 Windsj

'10 Difcourfes On the

Winds, but do not difcover the Wires
by which he mounts, nor know they
any Thing of what is done behind the
Scenes. Would you have all thefe Phi-
lofophers own tnemfelves to be ftark
Fools, and confefs ingenuoufly they
don't know how it comes to pafs : No,
no, they are not called Wijt^Men for
nothing ; tho\ let me tell you, moft of
their Wifdom depends upon the Igno-
rance of their Neighbours. Every
Man prefently gives liis Opinion, and
how improbable foever, there are Fools
enough of all forts to believe 'em : One
tells you Phaeton is drawn up by a
hidden Magnetick Vertue, no matter
where it lies ; and perhaps the grave.
Gentleman will take Pet, if you ask
him the Qtieftion. Another fays, Phae^
ton is compos'd of certain Numbers
that make him mount ; and after all,
the Philofopher knows no more of thofe
Numbers than a fucking Child does of
Algebra: A third tells you, Pbaeton
has a fecret love for the Top of the
Theatre, and like a true Lover, can-
not

Plurality ^/WORLDS, ii

not be at reft out of his Miiirefs's Com-
pany, with an hundred fuch extrava-
gant Fancies, that a Man muft con-
clude the Old Sages were very good
Banterers : But, now comes Monfieur
Difcartesy with fome of the Moderns,
and they tell you Phaeton afcends, be-s
caufe a greater Weight than he de-
fcends; fo that now we do not believe
a Body can move without it is pufli'd
and forc'd by another Body, and, as it
were, drawn by Cords, (o that no*
thing can rife or fall, but by the Means
of a Counterpoife ; to fee Nature then,
as file really is, one mull ftand beliind
tlie Scenes at the Opem. I perceive,
fays the Cotmtefs^ Philofophy is now be-
come very Mechanical. 1>j, Madiim;^
[ays /, fo Mechanical, that i fear we
fliall quickly be afliamM of it ; they
will have the World to be in Large,
what a Watch is in Small ; which is
very regular, and depends only upon
the juft difpofing of the feveral Parts of
the Movement. But pray tell me,
Madam, had you not formerly a more

fublime

II

Difcourfes on the

fublime Idea of the Univerfe ? Don't
you think you then honoured it more
than it defervM ? For moft People have
the lefs Efteem for it fince they have
pretended to know it. I am not of
their Opinion, jGy^j/;^, I value it the
morq fince I knov^ it refembles a Watch,
and the more plain and eafy the whole
order of Nature feems to be, to me it
appears the more admirable.

I don't know, fays flie, who has in-
fpir'd you with thefe folid Notions, but
I am certain there are but few who
'have them befides your felf, People ge-
nerally admire what they do not com-
prehend, they have a Veneration for
Obfcurity, and look upon Nature, as a
kind of Magick, while they don't un-
derftand her, and defpife her below Le-
gerdemain, when once they arc ac-
quainted with her; but I find you.
Madam, fo much better difpofed, that
I have nothing to do but to draw the
Curtain, and fliew you the V/orld.
That then which appears fartheft from
the Earth, (where werefide) is. called

the

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 13

the Heavens, that Azure Firmament
where the Stars are faftned like fo ma-
ny Nails, (and are calPd fix'd, becaufe
they feem to have no other Motion than
that of their Heaven, which carries
them with it felf from Eaft to Weft.)
Between the Earth and this great Vault
(as I may call it) hang at different
Heights th^Stiny and the Moou^ with the
other five Stars, Mercury^ Ventis^ Marsj
Jupiter and Sattirn^ which we call tho
Planets, not being faftned to the fame
Heaven, and having very unequal Mo-
tions, have divers Afpefts and Pofitions.
Whereas the fix'd Stars in refpe£t to
one another, are always in the fame
Scittiation : For Example, CAi^r/fj's Wain
which is composed of thofe feven Stars,
has been and ever will be as it now is,
tho' the MooTi is fometimes nearer to
the Sim^ and fometimes farther from it,
and fo it is with the reft of the Planets.
Thus things appeared to the Old ChaU
daan Shepheids, whofe great Leifure
produced thefc firft Obf^rvations, which
have fince been the Foundation of Aftro-

nomy ;

1 4 DifcouiTes on the

nomy ; which Science had its Birth in
Cbaldaa^ as Geometry fprung from
Egypj where the Inundation of the
Nile confounding the Bounds of their
Fields, occafionM their inventing more
exaft Meafures to diftinguilli every
ones Land from that of his Neighbour.
So that Aftronomj was the Daughter of
Idlenefs^ Geometry the Daughter of J/^-
terefi \ and if We did but examine Voe^
try^ we fliould certainly find her the
Daughter of Love.

I am glad, fays the Lady, I have
learnt the Genealogy of the Sciences,
and am convinced 1 mull: ftick to Aftro.
nomy, my Soul is not mercenary enough
for Geometry, nor is it tender enopugh
for Poetry ; but I have as much Time
to fpare as Aftronomy requires i befides
we are now in the Country, and lead
a kind of Paftoral Life, all which fuits
beft with Aftronomy. Don\ deceive
your felf, Madam, fays I, 'tis a true
Shepherd's Life to talk of the Stars and
Planets: See if they pafs their Time ib
in J/haa. That fort of Shepherd's

Craft,

Plurality ^/WORLDS. ly

Craft, r€flfdfl)e^ is too dangerous for
me to learn ; I love tlie honeft CbaU
drafts ^ and you muft teach me their
Rules, if you'd have me improve in
their Science. But let us proceed ;
When they had rank'd the Heavens in
the Manner you tell me, pray, what
is the next Quellion ? The next, [ays /,
is the difpofing the feveral Parts of the
Univerfe, which the Learned call, ma-
king a Syftem ; but before I expound
the firil: Syftem, I would have you ob-
ferve, we are all naturally like the Mad-
man at Athens^ who iancy'd all the
Ships that came into the Vyrosum Port,
belonged to him : Nor is our Folly lefs
extravagant, we believe all things in
Nature defign'd for our Ufe \ and do
but ask a Philofopher, to what Purpofe
there is that pi'odigious company of Hx'd
Stars, when a far Icfs Number would
perform the Service they do us ? He an-
fwers coldly, they were made to pleafe
our Sight. Upon this Principle they
imagined the Earth refted in the Center
of the Univerfe, while all the Celeftial

Bodies

1 6 Difcourfes on the

Bodies fwhich were made for it) took
the Pains to turn round to give Light to
it. They plac'd the Moon above the
Earthy Mercury above the M^?^;^,- after
Venus ^ the Sun^ Mars^ Jupiter ^ Saturn:,
above all thefe they fet the Heaven of
fix'd Stars, the Earth was juft in the
Middle of thofe Circles which contain
the Planets, and the greater the Cir-
cles were, they were the farther di-
ftant from the Earth, and by Confe-
quence the fartheft Planets took up the
moft Time in finiiliing their Courle,
which in effeft is true : But why, fays
the Count ejs (^interrupting mej do you
diflike this Syftem : It feems to me ve-
ry clear and intelligible. However,
fays I, Madam, I will make it plainer ;
for lliould I give it you as it came from
Ptolomey its Author, or fome others
who have fince ftudied it, I fhouW fright
you, 1 fancy, inftead of diverting you.
Since the Motions of the Planets are
not fo regular, but that fometimes they
go falter, ibmetimes flower, fometimes
are nearer the Earth, and fometimes

farther

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 17

farther from it; the Ancients invented
I don't know how many Orbs or Cir«
cles, involved one within another, which
they thought would falve all Objedions ;
this Confufion of Circles was fo great,
that at that Time when they knew no
better, a certain King ofjrago^^^ a great
Mathematician, ("but not much troubled
with Religion,; faid, That had God con-
[tilted him when he made the Worlds he
would have told him how to have fram'^d
ithetter. The Saying was very Atheifti-
cal, and no doubt the InftruSions he
would have given the Almighty, was
theSuppreffing thofe Circles with which
they had clogM the Celeixial Motions,
and the taking away two or three fuper-
fluous Heavens, which they placM a-
bove the fixM Stars ; for thefe Philofo-
pliers, to explain the Motion of the Ce-
leftial Bodies, had above the upper-
moft Heaven (whvzh we feej found ano-
ther of Cryftal, to influence and give
Motion to the inferiour Heavens ; and
wherever they heard of another Mo-
tion, they prefently clap'd up a Cryftal

Heaven

1 8 Difcourfes on the

Heaven which coft 'em nothing. Biltr
why, jQf-ys the Count efs^ muft their Hea-
ven be of Ciyftal, wou'd nothing elfe
ferve as v/ell? No, no, reflfd i, no-
thing fo well ; for the Light was to
come through them., and yet they v/ere
to be foUd. ArijifAle would have it fo,
he had found Solidity to be one of their
Excellencies, and wlien he had oncefaid
it, no Body would be fo rude .as to que-
ftion it. But it fecms there were Co-
mets much higher than the Philofophers
expe(Sted, which as they pafs'd along
broke the Cryftal Heavens, and con-
founded the Univerfe. But to make
the beft of a bad Market, they prefent-
ly m^elted down their broken Glafs, and
to uiriftotle\ Confufion, made the Hea-
vens fluid ; and by the Obfervations af
thefe latter Ages, it is nov/out of doubt,
that Ve?ius and Mercury turn round the
^un^ and not round the Earthy accord-
ing to the Ancient Syftem, v/hich is now
every where exploded, and all the Au-
thorities not worth a Rufli. But that
which I am going to. lay down, will

falve

Plurality ^/WORLDS, i 9

falve all, and is fo clear, that the King
o( o/lrago^ihimklfm^y fpare his Advice.
Methinks, fajs the Countefs^ your Phi-
lofophy is a kind of Out-cry, where he
that offers to Ao the Work cheapeft, car-
ries it from all the reft. This, fays /,
is very true, Nature is a great Hufwife,
ihe always makes ufeof what cofts lea ft,
let the Difference be never fo inconfide-
rable ; and yet this Frugality is accony
panyM with an extraordinary Magni-
ficence, which fhines through all her
Works; that is, flie is Magnificent in
the Defign, but Frugal in the Execution ;
and what can be more Praife worthy,
than a great Defign accomplifii'd with
a little Expence ? But in our Ideas we
turn Things topfy-turvy, we place our
thrift in the Defign, and ai*e at ten times
more Charge in WorkmanPnip than it
requires, which is very ridiculous. Imi-
tate Nature then, fajspe^ in your Sy-
ftem, and give me as little trouble as
you can to comprehend you. Madam,
fays /, fear it not, we've done with
our Impertinences : Imagin then a Ger-

man

20 Difcoiirfes on the

wan call'd Copermcus confounding eveiy
Thing, tearing in Pieces the belov'd
Circles of Antiquity, and fhattering
their Cryftal Heavens like fo many
Glafs Windows, feiz'd with the noble
Rage of Aftronomy, he fnatches up the
Earth from the Center of the Univerfe,
fends her packing, and places the Su/i
in the Center to which it did more juft-
ly belong, the Planets no longer turn
round the Earth, nor inclofe it in the
Circles they defcribe ; if they give us
Light, it is but by chance, and as they
meet us in their way. All now goes
round the Sun^ even the Earth herfelf j
and Copernicus to punifh the Earth for
her former Lazinefs, makes her con-
tribute all he can to the Motion of the
Planets and Heavens, and now ftrip'd
of all the Heavenly Equipage with
which file was fo glorioufly attended,
fbe has nothing left her but the Moon^
which ftill turns round about her : Fair
and foftly, fays the Count efs^ I fancy
you your felf are feizM wich the Noble
Fury of Aftroapniy ; a little lefs Rap-
ture,

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 21

ture, and I fliall underftand you bet-
ter. The Sim you fay is in the Center
of the Univerfe, and is immoveable;
Merctiry^ fays /, follows next, he turns
round the Sun, fo that the Sun is in the
Center of the Circle wherein Mercury
moves ; above Mercury is Venus^ who
turns all round the Sun ; after, comes
the Earth, which being plac'd higher
than Mercury and Venusy makes a great-
er Circle round the Sun than either of
them ; at laft comes Mars^ Jupiter and
Saturn^ in the fame Order I name 'em,
fo that Saturn has the greateft Circle
round the Sun, which is the Reafon he
is a longer Time in making his Revo-
lution than any of the other Planets.
You have forgot the Moon^ fays the
Countcfs^ we fliall quickly find her a-
gain, fays /, the Moon turns round the
Earthy and does not leave her, but as
the Earth advances in the Circle, which
firie defcribes about the Sm ; and if the
Moon turns round the Sun^ it is becaufe
flie won't quit the Earth ; I underftand
you, fays Jhe^ and I love the Moon for

iiaying

11 Difcoiirfcs on the

flaying with us when all the other Pla-
nets abandon us ; nay, I fcar your Ger-
7nan would have wiUiiigly#fetaken her
away too if he could ; for in a!l his
Proceedings, I find he had a great
fpiglit to tlie Earth. 'Twas well done
of him, fays 1, to abate the Vanity of
Mankind, who had taken up the befb
Place in the Univerfe, and it pleafes me
to fee the Earth in the Crouds of the
Planets. ^ Sure, [ays fie^ you don't
think their Vanity extends it fcif fo far
as Aftronomy 1 Do you believe you
have humbled me, in telling me the
Earth goes round the Srm ? For my part
I don't think my ftlf the worfe for it.
I confcfs, Madam, fays 7, it is my be-
lief^ that a fair Xady wou'd be much
more concerned for her Place at a Ball,
than for her Rank in the Univerfe ;
and the Precedence of two Planets will
not make half fach a Noife in the
World, as that of two Ambaffadors ;
however, the fame Inclination w^liich
reigns at a Ceremony, governs in a
Syitem; and if you love the uppermoft

Place

-Plurality (?/ W O R L D S. 23

Place in the one, the Philofopher defires
the Center in the other; he flitters
himlclf that all Tilings were made for
him, and iafenfibly beUeves a Alatter
of pure Speculation to be a Point of
Intereli. This is a Ca'uinny, /^j-j/;^,
you have invented againfl: Mankind;
why did they receive this Syftem if it
was fo Erroijious? I knov/ not, flfys /,
but I am fure Col'crmuis himfelif di-
ftruRed the Succefs of his Opinion,
'twas a long time before he would ven-
ture to publifii it, nor had he done it
then, without the Importunity of liis
Friends. But do you know what be-
came of him? The very Day they
brought him tlie tirll printed Sheet of
his Book, he dyM ; forefeeing that he
fliould never be able to clear all the
Contradiftions, and thereiore very
wifely Dipt out of the way. I would
be Jull to all tiie World, JaAs the Coun-
tefs ; but 'tis hard to tancy Vv^e move,
and yet fee we do not change our Place ;
we find our felves in tlie Morning
where we lay down at Night : Per-
haps

2-4 Difcourfes on the

haps you'll tell me the whole Eartlj
moves — Yes, certainly, fajs /, 'tis the
fame Cafe as if you fell afleep in a
Boat upon the River, when you wake
you find your felf in the fame Place,
and the fame Scituation, in refpeft to
all the Parts of the Boat. 'Tis true,
replfdjhe^ but here's a great Diiference,
when I wake I find another Shoar,
and that fiiows me, my Boat has
chang'd its Place. But 'tis not the
fame with the Earth, I find all Things
as I left "^em. No, no, pys 7, there's
another Shoar too ; You know that be-
yond the Circles of the Planets are fix'd
Stars, there's our Shoar, I am upon the
Earth, and the Earth makes a great
Circle round the Sun ; I look for the
Center of the Circle and fee the Sun
there, then I direct my fight beyond
the Sun in a right Line, and lliould
certainly difcover the fix'd Stars which
anfwer to .the Sun, but that the Light
of the Sun effaces 'em : But at Night
I eafily perceive the Stars that corref-
ponded with him in the Day, which is

exatlly

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 1$

exaflly the fame Thing ; if the Earth
did not change its place in the Circle
where it is, I Ihould fee the Sun always
againft the fame fixM Stars ; but when,
the Earth changes its place, the Sun
muft anfwer to other Stars, and there
again is your Shore which is always
changing. And feeing the Earth makes
her Circle in a Year, I fee the Sun like-
wife in the fpace of a Year anfwer fuc-
ceffively to the whole Circle of the fix'd
Stars, which Circle is calPd the Zj;^diack :
rU draw you the Figure of it, if you
pleafe, on the Sand? 'Tis no matter,
(ajs(Jje, I can do well enough without
it ; befides it will give an Air of Learn-
ing to my Park which I would not have
in ic : For I've heard of a certain Philo-
fopher, who being Shipwrack'd, and
caft upon an unknown Ifland, feeing
feveral Mathematical Figures traced on
the Sea-fliore, cry'd out to thofe who
foUow'd him, Cour^ge^ Courage^ my
Com^anions^ the I/le is inhalited^ he-
hold the foot ft e^s of Men. But you may

C Iparc

^6 Difcourfes on the

fpare your Figures, fuch Footfteps are
not decent here.

I confefs, Madam, fays /, the Foot-
fteps of Lovers would better become
tliis Place ; that is, your Name and Cy-
pher cut on the Trees by your Adorers.'
Tell me not, fays fie, of Lovers and
Adorers, I am for my beloved ^tm and
Planets, But how comes it to pafs that
the Sun as to the fixM Stars, compleats
his Courfe but in a Year, and yet goes
over our Heads every Day? Did you
never, refly'*d J, obferve a Bowl on the
Green ? It runs towards the Block, and
at the fame time turns very often round
itfelfjfo that the Parts which were above
are below, and thofe which were below
are above ; juft fo it is with the Earth,
at the fame time that fhe advances oa
the Circle, which in a Year's fpace fli-e
makes round the Sun, in twenty four
Hours file turns round her felf ; fo that
in twenty four Hours every Part of the
Earth lofes the Sun, and recovers him
again, and as it turns towards the Sun,
it feems to rife^ and as it turns from

him,

Plurality ^WORLDS. 17

liim, it feems to fall. 'Tis very plea-
fant, fays fhCj that the Earth muft take
all upon her felf, and the Sua do no-
thing : And when the Moon, the other
Planets, and the fix'd Stars feem to go
over our Heads every twenty four
Hours, you'll fay That too is only Fan-
cy ? Pure Fancy, fays /, which pro-
ceeds from the fame Caufe, for the Pla-
nets compleat their Courfes round the
Sun at unequal times, according to their
unequal Diilances ; and That which to
Day we fee anfwer to a certain Point
in the Zs^iach^ or Circle of the fix'd
Stars, to Morrow will anfwer to ano-
ther Point, becaufe it is advanced on
its own Circle, as well as we are ad-
vanced upon ours : We move, and the
Planets move too, but with more or left
Rapidity tlmn we ; tliis puts us in diffe-
rent Points of Sight in refped to them,
and makes us think their Courfes irregu-
lar; but there is noOccafionofdifcourf
ing to you on that Head ; 'tis fufficient to
inform you that what feems irregular
in the Planets, proceeds only from our

C 2 Motion^

1

2.5 Difcourfes en the

Motion, when in Truth they are all
very regular. I will fuppoie 'em fo,
[ays the Countefs^ but I would not
have their Regularity put the Earth to
fo great Trouble ; methinks you exact
too much Aftivity from fo ponderous
a Mafs. But, fays 7, had you rather
that the Sun anci all the Stars, wiiich
are vaft great Bodies, fliould in twen-
ty four Hours make a prodigious Tour
round the Earth; and that the fix'd
Stars which are in a Circle of infinite
Extent, whofe Movement is always ex-
treme, fhould run in a Day, three hun-
dred Millions of Leagues, and go far-
ther than from hence to Chhta ip the
Time that you could fay, Away^ quick
to China^ as they needs muft, if the
Earth did not turn round it felf every
twenty four Hours? To fay the Truth,
"^tis much more reafonable to think that
flie ihould make the Tour^ which at
moft is not above nine thoufand Leagues ;
you perceive plainly,, that to. . fet nine
thoufand Leagues againft ^thr^e ,.Hun-
xlred Millions^ is' no trifling Diffe-
rence

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 19

rtncQ. Oh, fays pe^ the Sun and
the Stars are all Fire, their Motion is
not verv difficult ; but the Earth I fan-
cy, is a little unweildy. That, re^lfd
7, figniiies nothing; for what think
you of ^ Firft Rate Ship, which car-
ries 1 50 Guns, and above 3000 Men,
befides her Provifions and other Furni-
ture ? One Puff of Wind you fee fets it
a failing, becaufe the Water is liquid,
and being eafily fcpamted, very littb
refuis the Motion of the Ship •, or if
file lie in the Middle of a River, fhe
will without Difficulty drive with the
Stream, becaufe there is nothing to
oppofe her Courfe. So the Earth,
tho' never fo weighty, is as eafily born
up by the Celeftial Matter, which is
a thoufand times more fluid than the
Water, and fills all that great fpace
where the Planets float ; for how elfe
would you have the Earth fafl:ned to
refitt the Motion of the Celeftial Mat-
ter, and not be driven by it ? You may
as Well fancy a little Block of Wood can
withltand the Current of a River. But

C J pray,

50 Difcourfes on the

pray, fays (he ^ how can the Earth with
all its Weight be born up by your Cc-
leftial Matter, which muft be very light,
becaufe it is fo fluid ? It does not argue,
Jays /, that what is mofl: fluid, is mofl:
light : For what think you of the great
Veflel I mentioned jufl: now, which with
all its Burthen is yet lighter than the
Water it floats on ? I'll have notliing to
do with that great Veffel, fays fie, with
ibme Warmth, and I begin to apprehend
my Self in fome Danger upon fuch a
Whirlegig as you have made of the
Earth. There is no Danger, refly'^dl^ but
Madam, if your Fears increafe, we'll
have the Earth fupported by four Ele-
phants, as the Indians believe it. Hey day,
crysjhe^ here's another Syfl:em ; however .
I love thofe People for taking care of
themfelveS;they have a good Foundation
to truft to, while we Co^ernicans are a
little too venturous with the Celefl:ial
Matter ; and yet I fancy if the Indians
thought the Earth in the leafl: danger
of finking, they would double their
Number of Elephants.

They

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 51

They do well, fays /, laughing at her
Fancy, who would fleep in fear ? And if
you have occaiion tor 'em to Night, we
will put as many as you pleafe in our Sy-
ftem, we can take 'em away again by De-
grees as you grow better confirmed. I
don't think 'em very neceflary, fays /7;^,
I have Courage enough to turn. You
Ihall turn with Pleafure, Madam, y^^'j- /,
and fliall find delightful Ideas in this
Syftem. For Example, fometimes I
fancy my felf fufpended in the Air,
without any Motion, while the Earth
turns round me in twenty four Hours 5
I fee I know not how many different
Faces pafs under me, feme White, fome
Black, and fome Tauny ; fometimes I
fee Hats, and fometimes Turbants, now
Heads with Hair, and then fhav'd
Pates ; here I fee Cities with Steeples,
fome with Spires and Crefcents, others
with Towers of Vmcelain^ and anon
great Countries with nothing but
Huts ; here I fee vaft Oceans, and there
moft horrible Defarts ; in fliort, I Ai'^-

C 4 cover

5 1 Difcour fes on the

cover the infinite Variety which is upon
the Surface of the Earth.

I confefs, [ays ^ej twenty four Houi^s
would thus be very well bcliowM, fo that
in the Place where we are now, I don'^t
mean in the Park, but we will fuppofe
our felves in the Air, other People con-
tinually pafs by who take up our Place,
and at the End of twenty four Hours
we return to it again.

Co^er/iicus himfelf, fays J, could not
have comprehended it better: Firft
then might we fee the Englijh paf-
fing by us, up to the Ears in Poli-
ticks, yet fetling the Nation no better
than we do the World m the Moo?t ; then
follows a great Sea, and there perhaps
fome Veffel, not near in that Tranqui-
lity as we are ; then come fome of the Iro^
quois going to eat a Prifoner for their
Breakfaft, who feems as little concerned
as his Devourers. After appear the Wo-
men of the Land o(Jej]o^ who fpend all
their Time in drefTmg their Husband's
Dinners and Suppers, and painting their
Lips and Eye-brows Blue^ only to pleafe

the

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 55

thegreateft Brutes in the World. Then
the Tartars going devoutly on Pilgri-
mage to their Great Prefier John^ who
never comes out of a Gloomy Appart-
ment all hung with Lamps, by the
Light of which they pay their Adora-
tion to him : Then the fair Circajfia?iSy
who make no Scruples of granting every
thing to the firft Comer, except what
they think effentially belongs to their
Husbands: Then the Inhabitants of
little Tartar)' going to fteal Concubines
for the Tui ks and l^erjlans ; and at iaft,our
owndear Countrym£n,it may be in fome
Points as ridiculous as, the bell: of 'em. '
This^f ays the Cotmtefs^ is very pleafant,
but to imagine what you tell me, tho' I
were above, and faw all this, I would
have the Liberty to haften or retard the
Motion of the Earth, according as tlie
Objefts pleas'd me more or lefsj and T
alTure you I fliould quickly fend pack-
ing the Toiitkiajts and Man-eaters.^ but
fliould have a great Curiofity for the
i^iv Circa ijiafis:^ tor methinksthey have
a Cuftom very particular. But 1 have a
C 5 Diffi:^

5 4 Difcovirfes m the

Difficulty to clear, and you muft be feri-
ous. As the Earth moves, tlie Air changes
every Moment, fo we breath the Air of
another Country. Not at all, re^lfd 7,
for the Air which encompaffes the Earth,
does not extend above a certain Height,
perhaps 20 Leagues; it follows us and
turns with us : Have you not feen the
Work of a Silk- Worm, the Shells which
thofe little Animals imprifon themfelves
in^ and weave with fo much Art ; they
arc made of a Silk very clofe, but are
cover'd with a Down very loofe and
fofc : So the Earth which is folid, is co-
verM from the Surface 20 Leagues up-
wards witli a kind of Down, which is
the Air, and all the Shell of the Silk-
Worm turns at the fame Time. Be-
yond the Air is the Celeftial Matter,
incomparably more pure and fubtle,
and much more agitated than the Air.,
Your Compariibn, fa)'sf])e^ is fome-
what mean, and yet what Wonders are
wrought, what Wars, what Changes
in this little Shell ? 'Tis true, repfu 7,
but Nature takes no notice of fuch little

par-

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 3?

particular Motions, but drives us along
with the general Motion, as if flie were
at Bowls.

Methinks, fays pe^ 'tis very ridicu-
lous to be upon a Thing that turns,
and be in all this Perplexity, and
yet not be well alTurM that it does
turn ; and to tell you the Truth, I be-
gin to diftruft the Reafons you give,
why we iliould not be fenfible of the
Motion of the Earth ; for is it poffible
there lliould not be fome little Mark
left, by which we might perceive it ?

Ail Motions, fays /, the more conir
mon and natural they are, are the lefs
perceptible, and this holds true even in
Morality -, the Motion of Self love is fo
natural to us, that for the moft part we
are not fenfible of it, and v/e believe we
ad by other Principles. Now, faysfhe^
are you moralizing to a Qiieilion of Na-
tural'Poilofopby which is running wide
of the Argument : But enough, this Le-
ftureisfufficient for the firilTime, let
us now go home, and meet here again
to-Morrov/, You with your Sjftems,
and I with my Ignorance.. In

3 6 Difcourfes on the

In returning back to the Caftle, that
I might fay all I could on the Subjeft,
I told her of a third Syftem, invented
by Ticho Brahe, who had fix'd the Earth
in the Center of the World, turn'd the
S-tm round the Earthy and the reft of the
Planets round tlie Sun ; for fince tlie
New Difcoveries, there was no Way
left to have the Planets turn round the
Earth. But the Cotintep with the quick-
eft Apprehenfion, replfd^ fhe thought
this tooafFeded a Syftem, that among
fo many great Bodies, the Earth only
fliould be exempted from turning round
the Sun ; that it was improper to make
the Sun turn round the Earthy when
all the Tlanets turn round the Sun ; and
that tho' this Scheme was to prove the
Immobility of the Earthy yet flie
thought it very improbable : So we re-
folvM to ftick to Ccfernkus^ whofe Opi-
nion we thought moft Uniform, Pro-
bable, and Diverting. In a Word, the
Simplicity of which convinces, and
the Boldnefs furprizes with pleafure.

ThQ

Plurality c/ WORLDS. 37

The Second Evening's
Conversation.

That the Moon is a?i Inhabited World,

^.M,&& H E next Morning, as foon as
S T C anyone could get admittance,
"^'•^^"si'k I fenttotheCoimtefs'sAppart-
ment, tO know how fhe had
refted, andwhether the Motion of the
Earth had not di[1:urbM her ? She re-
turnM for Anfwer, (he began to beac-
cuftom'd to it, and x\\2LtCoj'er7iicus him-
felf had not flept better. Some time
after there came fome Neighbours to
Dinner, who ftay'd with lier till the
Evening, according to the tirefom Cu-
ftom in the Country ; nay, and they
were very obliging in going tlien, for
the Country likewife gives a Priviledge
of extending their Vifit to the next
Morning if they are fo dilpoicd^ and

have

3 8 Difcourfes on the

have not the Confcience to breakup.

So the Cou>,tejs and I found our felves

at Liberty, in the Evening : We went

again to the Park, and immediately fell

upon our Syftems ; She fo well retained

what I told her the Night before, that

file defirM I would proceed without

any Repetition. Well, Madam, y^^;j /,

Since the Sun^ which is now im.move-

able, has left off being a TUmet ; and

the Earth which turns round him is

now become one, you'll not be furpriz'd

whe^ you hear that the Moo?i is an

Earth too, and an habitable World.

I confefs, Jays fie, I have often heard

talk of the IVorU in the Moo?^^ but I

always lookM upon it as Viiionary and

meer Fancy. And, fay^. /, it may be

fo ftill '^ I am in this Cafe, as People in

a Civil- War, where the uncertainty of

of what may happen, makes 'em hold

Inrtlligence with the oppofite Party,

and correipond with their very Enemies ;

for tlio' I verily believe the xViocm is In-

habiced, I live civilly with thofe who

do not believe it j and I am \^like fome

honeit

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 59

honeft Gentlemen in Point of Religion)
ftill ready to embrace the prevailing Opi-
nion, but till the Unbelievers have a
more confiderable Advantage, I declare
for the Inhabitants of the Moon.

Suppofe there had never been any
Communication between Pc-rh and St.
Dennis^ and a Cockney who was ne-
ver beyond the W^alls of his own City,
faw St. Dermis from the Towers of
Noftre-Dr^me ; you ask him if he be-
lieves St. Dennis is Inhabited as Far is
is ? He prefently anfwers boldly, No ;
for, fays be^ I fee very well the People
at Taris^ but thofe at St. Dennis I
don't fee at all, nor did I ever hear of
any there : 'Tis true, you tell him,
that from the Towers of Nofirt'D^me,
he cannot perceive any Inhabitants of
St. Dennis^ becaufe of the diliance ; but
all that he does difcover of St. Dtimis^
very much refembles what lie fees at
Taris^ the Steeples, Houfcs, Walls,
fo that it may very well be Inhabited
as Paris is ; all this fignilies nothing,
my Cockney ftill maintains that St.

Dennis

40 Difcourfes on the

De7tnis is not inhabited, becaule he fees
no Body there. The Moon is our St.
Dennis^ and every one of us is like this
Parifian Cockney, who never went out
of his o\^^n City.

You are too fevere^/^n'j'/^e'jUpon your
Fellow Citizens ; we are not all fure fo
filly as your Cockney ; fince St. Dennis
is juft like Faris^ , he is a Fool if he does
not think it inhabited : But the Moon is
not at all like the Earth. Take care what
you fay, Madam, reflfd /, for if the
Moon refembles the Earth, you are under
a neceffity to believe it inhabited. If it
be fo, fays pe^ I own I cannot be dif-
pensM from believing it ; and you feem
fo confident of it, that I fear I muft,
w^hether I will or no. 'Tis true, the
two Motions of the Earth, (which I
could never Imagine till now ) do a lit-
tle ftagger me as to all the reft ; but
yet, how is it poffible the Earth fl^ould
enlighten as the Moon does, without
which they cannot be alike ? If that be
all, fijs /, the Difference is not ^reat,
for 'tis the Sun which is the fole Foua-

taiii.

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 41

tain of Light \ that Quality proceeds only
from him ; and if the Planets give Light
to us,it is becaufe they firlt receive it from
the Sun ; the Sun fends Light to the
Moon, and flie reflects it back on the
Earth ; the Earth in the fame manner
receives Light from the Sun, and fends
it to the Moon ; for the Diftance is the
fame between the Earth and the Moon,
as between the Moon and the Earth.

But, fays the Countefs^ is the Earth
as fit to fend back the Light of
the Sun as the Moon is ? You are
altogether for the Moon, fays I^ fhe is
much oblig'd to you ; but you muft
know tiiat Light is made up of certain
little Balls, which rebound from what
is Solid, but pafs through what admits
of an entrance in a right Line, as Air
or Glafs : So that what makes the
Moon enlighten us, is that flie is a
firm and folid Body, from which the
little Balls rebound ; and we muit deny
our Senfes, if we will not allow the
Earth the fame Solidity ; in fhort, the
Difference is how we are feated, for

the

42. Difcourfes on the

the Moon being at fo vaft a diftance
from us, we can only difcover her to be
a Body of Light, and don't perceive
that Hie is a great Mafs, altogether like
the Earth : V/hereas on the contrary,
becaufe we are fo near the Earth, we
know her to be a great Mafs, proper for
the furnifhing Provifion for Animals,
but don't difcover her to be a Body of
Light, for want of the due Diftance : It
is )uft fo with us all, fa)'s the Comtefs^
we are dazled with the Quality and For-
tune of thofe who are above us, when,
do but examine Things nicely, and we
are all upon a Level.

Its very true, fays /, we would judge
of all Things, but ftill ftand in the
wrong Places ; we are too near to judge
of our felves, and too far off to knov/
others : So that the true way to fee
Things as they are, is to be between the
Moon and the Earth, to be purely a
Speftator of this World, and not an In-
habitant. I fhall never be fatisfy'd, fsfys
pe^ for the Injuftice we do the Earth,
and the too favourable Opinion we have

of

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 43

of the Moon, till you affure me tliat tlie
Inhabitants of the Moon are as little ac-
quainted with their Advantages, as we
are with ours ; and that they take our
Earth for a Planet, without knowing
theirs is one too. Don't doubt it, fays 7,
we appear to them to perform very re-
gularly our Function of a Planet : 'Tis
true, they don't fee us make a Circle
round them, but that is no great mat-
ter. That half of the Moon which was
turn'd towards us at the beginning of
the World, has been turn'd towards us
ever fince ; the Eyes, Mouth and Face
which we have fmcy'd of the Spots in
her, are ftill the fame, and if the other
oppofite half fliould appear to us, we
fhould, no doubt, fancy another Figure
from the different Spots that are in it :
Not but that the Moon turns upon her
felf, and in the fame time that ihe turns
round the Earth, that is in a Month ;
but while flie is makiag that turn upon
herfelf, and that Ihe lliou'd hide a Cheek,
for Example, and appear fomewhat elfe
to us, flie makes a like part of her Circle

round

44 Difcour fes on thd

round the Earth, and ftill prefents to us
the fame Cheek ; fo that the Moon, who
in refpeft of the Sun and Stars turns
round her felf, in refpeft of us does not
turn at all ; they feem to her to rife
and fet in the fpace of fifteen Days ; but
for our Earth, it appears to her to be
held up in the fame Place of the Hea-
vens : 'Tis true, this apparent Immobi^
lity is not very agreeable to a Body
which fliould pafs for a Planet, but it
is not altogether perfed ; the Moon has
a kind of trembling which caufes a lit-
tle Corner of her Face to be fometimes
hid from us, and a little corner of the
oppofite half appears ) but then upon my
Word fhe attributes tliat trembling to
us, and fancies that we have in the
Heavens the Motion of a Tendulumj
which vibrates too and fro.

I find, fjs the Cotmttfs^ tlie Planets
are juit like us ; we caft that upon o-
thers which is in our felves ; fays the
•Earth, T/> not I that turn^ ^tis theSmr^
the Moon fays, Vij not I thcttjhake^ "'tis
the Earth \ there is a great deal of Er-
ror

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 4^

ror every where. But I would not
advife you, fays I, to undertake the re-
forming it ; you had better convince
your felf of the entire refemblance of
the Earth and the Moon : Imagine
then thefe two great Bowls held up in
the Heavens, you know that the Sun
always enlightens the one half of a Bo-
dy that is round, and the other half is
in the Shadow ; there is theij one half
of the Earth, and oaQ half of the Moon
which is enhghtned by the Sun ; that
is, one half which is Day, and the other
half whi Ji is Night. Obferve alfo, that
as a Ball has lefs ^orce after it has been
flruck a^ainlt a Wall, and rebounds to
the other iide, fo is Liglit weakaed
when it is reflefted. The Pale Light
which comes to us from the Moon, is
the very Light of the Sun, but it can-
not come to us from the Moon, but by
llefleflion ; it has loft much of the force
andluftre it had when it came diredlly
from the Sun upon the Moon ; and that
bright Light which Ih.ines direftly upon
us from the Sun, and which the Earth

reflefts

4(5 DifcouiTes on the

refle£ls upon the Moon, is as pale and
weak when it arrives there ; fo that
the Light which appears to us in the
Moon, and enhghtcns our Nights, is
tli^Part of the Moon which has Day;
and that part of the Earth which has
Day, when it is oppofite to the part of
the Moon which has Night, gives
Light to it : All depends upon, how the
Moon and the Earth behold one ano-
ther. At the beginning of the Month
we don't fee the Moon, becaufe flie is
between the Sun and us ; that half of
her which has Day, is then tiirnM to-
wards the Sun ; and that half which
has Night, turnVl towards us; we
can't fee it then, becaufe it has no Light
upon it ; but that half of the Moon
which has Night, being turn'd to the
half of the Earth which has Day, fees
us without being perceiv'd, and we
then appear to them, juft as the full
Moon does to us ; fo that, as I may
fay, the Inhabitants of the Moon have
then a full Earth ; but the Moon being
advanced upon her Ciccle of a Month,

comes

Plurality (7/ WORLDS. 47

comes from under the Sun, and begins
to turn towards us a little Corner of
the half which is Light, there's the
Crefcent ; then thofe Parts of the Moon
which have Night don't fee all the half
of the Earth which has Day, and we
are then in the Wane to them.

I underfland you perfeftly, fays the
Cotmtefs^ without Hefitation, I can
comprehend the reft at Pleafure, and I
have nothing to do but thiiik a Mo-
ment, and bring the Moon upon her
Circle of a Month. I fee in general
that, the Inhabitants of the Moon
have a Month quite contrary to us ;
when we have a full Moon, their half
of the Moon which is Light, is turned
to our half of the Earth which is Dark ;
they don't fee us at a!l, and they have
then a New^ Earth, this is plain. I would
not ftand the Reproach of requiring a-
long Explication on fo eafie aPoint : But,
now tell me, how come the Eclipfcs ?
You may eafily guefs that, fays /, when
it is new Moon, that {ht is between
the Sua and us, and all her Dark Half

is

4? Difcourfes on the

is turnM towards us who have Light,
that obfcure Shadow is cafl: upon us :
If the Moon be direQly under the Sun,
that Shadow hides him from us, and at
the fame Time obfcures a part of that
half of the Earth which is Light, which
was feen by that half of the Moon
which was Dark, here then is an E-
clipfe of the Sun to us during our Day,
and an Eclipfe of the Earth to the
Moon during her Night. When it is
full Moon, the Earth is between her
and the Sun, and all the Dark half of
the Eartli is turn'd towards all the
Light half of the Moon ; the Shadow
then of the Earth cafts it felf towards
the Moon, and if it falls on the Moon,
it obfcures that Light half which we
fee, which then has Day, and hinders
the Sun from Ihining on it : Here then
is an Eclipfe of the Moon to us during
our Night, and ^ an Eclipfe of the Sun
to the Moon during her Day : But the
Reafon that we have not Eclipfes eve-
ry Time that the Moon is between the
Sun and the Earth, or the Earth be-
tween

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 49

tween the Sun and the Moon, is be-
caufe thefe three Bodies are not exaSly
placM in a right Line, and by Confe-
quence that which fhould make the
Eclipfe, cafts its Shadow a little befide
that which (hould be obfcur'd.

I am iuvpviz^dy fays the Countefs^ that
there fliould be fo* little Miftery in E-
clipfes, and that the whole World
fliould not know tlxe Caufe of 'em*
!N' or ever will, /-Jyj" /, as fome People
go about it. In the Eajt Indies^ when
the Sun and the Moon are in Eclipfe,
they believe a certain Devil, who has
black Claws, is feizing on thofe Planets
with his Talons; and during that Time>
the Rivers are covered with the Heads
of Indians^ who are up to the Neck ia
Water, becaufe they efteem it a very
devout Pofture, to implore the Sun and
the Moon to defend them againft the
Devil. In America they are perfuaded
that the Sun and the Moon, when E-
clips'd, are angry ; And what is it they
will not do to be reconciPd with them ?
The Greeks^ who were fo refinM alfo,

D believ'd

5*0 Difcourfes on the

believM the Moon was then enchanted,
and that the Magicians forc'd her to
defcend from Heaven, and (hed a ma-
lignant Juice on the Plants : Nay, what
a pannick fear were we in not above 40
Years ago, at an Eclipfe of the Sun? How
many People hid themfelves in Cellars^
and all the Philofophers who treated of
its Caufe, could not perfwade them to
come out till the Eclipfe was over ?

In good FaithJi^vj-J/^t^'tis fcandalous for
Men to be fuch Cowards ; there ought
to be a general Law of Mankind to
prohibit the difcourfing of Eciipfes, that
we might not call to mind the Follies
that have been laid, and done, upon
that SubjeQ:. Your Law then, [ays /,
muft abolifh even the Memory of all
Things, and forbid us to fpeak at all,
for I know nothing in the World which
is not a Monument of the Folly of Man.
But what d'ye think, pj J- J??^, of the
Inhabitants of the Moon, are they as
fearful of an Eclipfe as we are ? It would
be a very good Jeft to fee the Indians
there up to the Neck ia Water ; that

the

Plurality o/ WORLDS, yt

the Amerka?ts fliould believe the Earth
angry with them; the Greeks fancy
we were bewitch'd, and would deftroy
their Plants ; in fhort, that we fhould
caufe the fame Confternation among
them, as they among us. And why not,
fays I J I don't at all doubt it ; for why
lliould the People in the Moon have
more Wit than we? What right have
they to afright us and not we them ? For
my part, contimi^dllangbing^ I believe
that fiiice a prodigious Company of Men
have been, and tlill are, fuch Fools to a-
dore the Moon, there certainly are Peo-
ple in the Moon that worfliip the Earth,
and that we are upon our Knees the one
to the odier. But iuvc^ fays pt^ we don't
pretend to fend any Influences to the
Moon, and to give a Crifis to her Sick ;
if the People have any Wit in thofe
Parts, they'll foon deftroy the Honour
we flatter our felves with, and I fear,
we fliall have the Diladvantage.

Madam, fajs /, don't fear that, d^e
think we are the only Fools of the Uni-
verfe ? Is it not confiftent with Igno-

D 2 rancc

'^j* 2. Difcourfes on the

ranee to fpread it felf every where?
'Tis true, we can only guefs at the Fol-
ly of the People in the Moon, but I no
more doubt it, than I do the moft Au-
thentick News that comes from thence.
What authentick News comes from
thtncQ^ fay sjjje ? That which the Learn-
ed bring us, replfal^ who travel thither
every Day with their Tubes and Telef-
copes ; they'll tell you of their Difcove.
ries, of Lands, Seas, Lakes, high Moun-
tains, and deep Abyffes.

Indeed, fays fl:e^ I fancy they may
difcover Mountains and Abyffes, be-
caufe of the remarkable Inequahty;
but how do they diilinguifli Lands and
Seas? Very eafily, /^jj' /> for the Wa-
ters letting part of the Light pafs thro'
them, fend back but a very Httle, fo
that they appear afar off like fo many
dark Spots ; whereas the Lands being
folid, reflefl: the whole Light, and. ap-
pear to be more bright and (hining :
The famous . Monfieur Cajfmij a Man
ofthelargeft Acquaintance in the World
.with the Firmament, difcover'd in the

Moon

/ Plurality ^WORLDS, st

M:on fomething which divided, tlien re-
united, and funk in a fort of Wells : We
may with very much probability fup-
ppfe this was a River. Nay, they pre-
tend- tQ be fo well acquainted with the
fjveral Pkces, that they have given
them all Names ; one they call Cofer-
iiictfSj another Jrckrme^lesy and a third'
Galikus\ there is the CaJjyianSea^ the-
Black Lctke^ the Porj^hirite Mount ai7is\
m fliort, they have publiQi'd fuch ex-
ad Defcriptions of the Moon, that a
very Almanack-maker will be no more
to feek tliere, than 1 am m Paris.

I mud own then, faj's the Cotmtefs^
they are very exafl • but what do they
fay to the iniide of the Country? I would
very tain know that. 'Tis impoffible,
refifdl^ the moft learned Aftronomers
of our Age cannot inform you. You
muil: ask that oi A'lolfo^ who was carri-
ed into the Moon by St. "Johii. I am go-
ing to tell you one of the agreeable Fol-
lies oijfiolco^ which Fm confident you'll
be well pleas'd to hear : I muft con-
fefs he had better have let alone St. John^

D J whofe

54 Difccurfes on the

whofe Name is worthy of Refpeft ;
but 'tis a Poetical Licenfe, and muft be
allow'd. The PoeiHy which is call'd
Orlando Furiofo^ is dedicated to a Car-
dinal, and a great Pope has honoured it
with his Approbation^ which is pre-
fixed to feveral of the Editions ; this is
the Argument, Rowland Nej^hew to
Charlemagne, /^//j" mad^ lecaufe the fair
Angelica prefers Medore before him,
Aftolfo a Kjiight Errant^ finding him-
felf one Day in the Terreflrial Paradife^
which was ti^on the Top of a very high
Mountain J where he was carried by his
flying Horfe^ meets St. John there^ who
tells hinij if he would have Rowland
cured^ hemuji make a Voyage with him
into the Moon. Aftolfo, who had a
great Mind to fee New Countries^ did
not ft and much upon intreaty, there im*
mediately came a fiery Chariot which
carrfd the Apoftleand the Kjtight up
into the Air-, Aftolfo being no great
Philofopher^ was furpriz^d to find the
Moony2? much bigger than it appear'* d to
him when he was upon the Earth j to

fee

Plurality ^/WORLDS. ? j

fee Rivers^ Seas^ Mountains^ Cities^
for eft s^ nay^ what would have furp't^d-
me tooy Njmphs bnnting in thofe Forejls ;
tut that which ajfear^amofi remarkahle^
was a FalJe)' where you might find any
Tbi?ig that was Jofi in our World, af
what natme fever y Crowns^ Riches^
Fame^ and an infinity ofHofes ; the time
we ffend in Piay^ and in fearching for
the Pijilojo'her^s Stone^ the Alms voe
give after our Death y the Verfes we fre*
fent to great Men and Princes^ and the
Sighs of Lovers. I don'^t know, fays
the Count efy what became of the Sighs
of Lovers in QArio/io\ Time, but I fan-
cy there are very few of 'em afcend to
the Moon in our Days. Ah, Madam,
refifdl^ how many does Your Lady-
fliip fend thither eveiy Day? Thofe
that are addrefsM to you will make a
confiderable Heap ; and I affure you
the Moon keeps all .fofe that is loft here
below : Yet I muft tell you, Jrio'^o does
but whifper it ; tho' every Thing is
there, even the Donation of Confian-
tine J (/. e.) the Popes have pretended
D 4 to

^6 DifcouiTes a^ the

to be Mafters of Rome and Itdy^ by
Virtue of a Donation which the Em-
peror Co?tftardi?i€ made Stlvefter ; and
the Truth on't is, no Body knows
what's become of it: But what do you
think is not to be found in the Moon ?
Folly: All that ever was upon the Earth
is kept there ftill, but in lieu of it, 'tis
not to be imagined how many Witsfif I
may fo call 'emj that are loll here, are
got up into the Moon, they are fo ma-
ny Vials full of a very fubtile Liquor,
which evaporates immediately, if it be
not well ftoppM ; and upon every one
of thefe Vials the Names are written
to whom the Wits belong: I think Ari-
ofto has heapM 'em upon one another
a little confufedly, but for Order's fake
we will fancy 'em plac'd upon Shelves
in a long Gallery ; JffoJfo wonder'd to
fee feveral Vials full, infcrib'd with the
Names of Perfons whom he thought
confiderable for their Wifdom. To
confefs the Truth, I begin to fear
fince I have entertain'd you with
thefe Philofophical and Poetical Vifions,

mine

Plurality (7/ WORLDS, y;

mine there, is not very empty ; how-
ever, 'tis fome Confolation to me, that
while you are fo attentive, you have a
httle Glafs full, as w^ell as your humble
Servant : The good Knight found his
own Wits among the reft, and with the
Apoftle's leave fnufF'd it all up his Nofe,
like fo much Hungary Water ; but Ari-
ofio faid he did not carry it far, it re-
turned again to the Moon a little after.
Well, he did not forget Kovo]and\
Vial, which was the Occafion of his
Voyage ; but he was curfedly plagu'd
to carry it, for Htro^s Wiis are natu^
rally very heavy, and there did not
want one Drop of it : To conclude,
Ariofto^ according to his laudable Cu-
flom of faying whatever he pleafes, ad-
drelTes himfclf to his Miitrefs in very
beautiful Verfes.

* Fair 'Mfirepy ivhofor ine to Heaven fiaU fly^
To hring again from thence my "d-ahAririg IVit ?

Which fJliHlofc'y JjKce from that piercing Eye

The Dart ca?ne Jorth that firji my Heart did hit :
D 5 Nor

3'/VJohii Harrington's Tranjlaimi of ArioAo.

58f Difcourfes On the

Nor of my Lofs at all compla'm ivouU /,

Migh I but keep that luh'tch retnatneth yet :

IBut ifitfi'tlldecr^afey within Jhort Space,
I douht IJhallhem RowlandoV C^y^ 5

Yetf 'well I ivotiihere to recover mtne,

Tho* not in Paradife, nor CynthiaV Sphere,
Yet donhtlefs in a Place no lef< Divine,

In that fiveet Face cf yours, in that fair Hair,
That rtihy Ltp, in thofe t-wo Star-like Eyn,

There is my Wit, J k-'.ow it -wanders there,
u4fidwith my LipSy ij you 'would give me leave,

I. there ivould fearch, I thence ivould it receive.

Is not this very pleafant? Toreafon
like Anofioy the fafeft Way of lofing our
Wits is to be in Love ; for you fee they
don't go far from us, v^e may recover
'em again at our Lips ; but when we
lofe 'em by otlier Means, as for Example,
by Philofophizing, they are gone with
a Jerk into the Moon, and there is no
coming at 'em again when we would.
However, [ays the Cotintefs^ our Vials
have an honourable Station among the
Phiiofophers, when 'tis Forty to One,
but Love fixes our Wits on an Objeci:
we cannot but be afham'd of: But to

take

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 59

take away mine entirely, pray tell me
very ferioufly, if you believe there are
any Men in the Moon, for methinks
hitlierto you have not been very pofi-
tive : For my Part, fays /, I don't be-
lieve there are Men in the Moon, for
do but obferve how much the Face of
Nature is cliang'd bwJtween this and
China \ other Vifages, Shapes, Man-
ners ; nay, almoft other Principles of
Reafon^ and therefore, between us
and the Moon the alteration muft be
much more confiderable. In the Lands
that have been lately difcover'd, we
can fcarce call the Inhabitants Men,
they are rather Animals in Human
Shape, and that too fometimes very
imperfeft, almoft without ^uman Rea-
fon ; he therefore that will travel to
the Moon, muft not expeft to find
Men there.

What fort of People are they then,
fays the Cou/itefs^ with an Air of Im-
patience ? Troth, Madam, reflfd /,
I don't know ; for put the Cafe that
we our felves inhabited the Moon,

and

^o Difcourfes on the

and were not Men, but rational Crea-
tures ; could we' imagine, d'ye think,
fuch fantaftical People upon the Earth,
as Mankind is ? Is it poflible we fhould
have an Idea of fo ftrange a Compofi-
tion, a Creature of fuch foolifli Paffions,
and fuch wife Reflections? Granted
but fuch a Span of Life, and yetpurfu-
ing Views of fuch Extent ? So Learned
In. Trifles, and fo ftupidly Ignorant in
Matters of the grcatefl: Importance ? So
much Concern for Liberty, and yet fuch
great Inclinations to Servitude ? So de-
fu'ous of Happinefs, and yet fo very in-
capable of being fo ? The People in the
Moon mufl: be wife indeed to fuppofe
all this of us. But don't we fee our
felves continually, and can't fo much as
guefs how we were made ? So that we
are forc'd to fay the Gods when they
created us were drunk with Neciar ;
and when they were fober again, could
not chufe but laugh at their own
Handy-work. Well, well, fays the
Cpuntejs^ we are fafe enough then, they
la the Moon know nothing of us \ but

I

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 61

I could wifli we were a little better ac-
quainted with them, for it troubles me
that we fliould fee the Moon above us,
and yet not know what is done there.
Why, faysl^ Are you not as much con-
cern'd for that part of the Earth which
IS not yet difcover'd ? What Creatures
inhabit it, and what they do there ?
For we and they are carryM in the fame
VelTel : They polTefs the Prow, and we
the Pbop. and yet there is no manner
of Communication between us ; they
don't know at one end of the Ship who
lives, or what is done at the other end ;
and you wou\l know what palTes in
the Moon, which is another great Vef-
fel, faihng in the Heavens at a vaft di-
ftance from us.

Oh, faysjhe^ for the Earth I reckon
it all as good as difcover'd, and can
guefs at the People, tho' I never heard
a Word of 'em ; for 'tis certain they all
very much refemble' us, and we may
know 'em better when we have a
mindto't; they'll ftay where they are,
and 'tis no more but going to fee 'em ;

but

6i Di^courfes c?7 the

but we can't get into the Moon if we
would, {o that I dcfpair of knowing
what they do there. You'll laugh at
me, Jays /, if I flhould ai^fwer you feri-
oufly, perhaps J may deferve it, and
yet, I fancy, I can fay a great deal to
juftifie a ridiculous Thought that is juft
now come into my Head ; nay, to ufe
the Fools beft Argument, I'll lay a Wa-
ger I make you own ( in fpire of Rea-
fon ) that one of thefe Days there may
be a Communication between the
Earth and the Moon, and who knows
what great Advantages we may reap
by it ? Do but confider America before
it was difcoverM by Cokmttis^ how
profoundly Ignorant were thofe People,
they knew nothing at all of Arts and
Sciences, they went naked, had no o-
ther Arms but Bows and Arrows, and
did not apprehend they might be carried
by Animals ; they lookM upon the Sea
as a v/ide Space, not for the ufe of Men,
that it was joynM to the Heavens, and
beyond it was nothing : 'Tis true, af-
ter having fpent wiiole Years in hol-

lov/ing

Plurality 0/ WORLDS. 5 5

lowing the Trunks of great Trees with
fliarp Stones, they put themfelves to
Sea in thefe Trunks, and floated from
Land to Land, as the Wind and Waves
drove 'em ; but how often was their
Trough overfet, and they forc'd to re-
cover it again by fwiming ? So that
( except when they were on Land ) it
might be faid they were continually
fwiming: And yet had any one but
told 'em of another kind of Navigati-
on incomparably more perfect and ufe-
ful than their own, that wou'd eafily
convey over that infinite Space of Wa-
ter, that they might Itop in the middle
of the Waves, and in fome Senfe com-
mand the Winds, and make their Vef-
fel go taft, or flow, as they pleasM ; in
fliort, that this impa liable Ocean fliould
be no Obftacle to their converfing with
another different People ; d'ye think
they'd have behev'd you? And yet at
laft that Day is come ; the unheard of,
and moft furprizing Sight appears; vaft
great Bodies, with white Wings, are
feen to fly upon the Sea, to vomit Fire

from

6^ DifcouiTes on the

from all Parts, and to caft on their
Shores an unknown People, all fcaPd
with Iron, who difpofe and govern
Monfters as they pleafe ; carry Thun-
der in their Hands, and overthrow and
deiiroy who ever refirfs 'em: From
whence came they ? Who brought 'em
over the Sea? Who gave to 'em the
Difpofal of the Fire of Heaven ? Are
t!)ey Gods ? Are they the Offspring of
the Sun, for certainly they are not
Men. Do but confider. Madam, the
furprize of the Jmtrica?/s^ there can be
nothing greater ♦, and after this, will
any one lay there fliall never be a Com-
munication between the Moon and the
Earth. Did the Jmerka?is believe
there would ever be any between them
and Eurofe^ till it came to pafs ? 'Tis
true, you muft pafs this great Space of
Air and Heaven which is between the
Earth and the Moon ; but did not
thofe vaft Seas feem at firft as impaiTa-
ble to the J?nerka?/s? You rave, I
think, fajsfit', Who denies it. Ma-
dam ? faui 1. Nay, but Til prove it,! re-

£Ues

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 6j

l^iespe ; I don't care for your bare
owning it : Did you not own the J-
meric^tjis were fo ignorant, that tlicy
had not the lead: conception of croffing
the Sea;M3Ut we, w^ho know a great
deal more than they, can iinagine and
tancy the going through the Air, tho'
we are affuPd it is not to be done.
There is fomewhat more than Fancy,
reply d /, when it has been aheady
praftisVl, for feveral have found the fe-
cret of faftening Wings, which bear
them up in the Air, to move them as
they pleafe, and to fly over Rivers,
and from Steeple to Steeple ; I can't
fay indeed they have yet made an Ea-
gle's flight, or that it does not cofi: now
and then a Leg or an Arm to one of
thefe New Birds ; but tliis may ferve
to reprefent the lirfl: Planks that were
launchM on the Water, and which
were the beginning of Navigation ;
there were no Veffels then thought of
to fail round the World, and yet you
fee what great Ships are grown by lit-
tle and Uctle from thofe rude Planks.

Tlie

66 Difcourfes on the

The Art of Flying is but newly invent-
ed, 'twill improve by degrees, and in
time grow perfeQ: ; then we may fly
as far as the Moon. We don't yet
pretend to have difcover'd ail Things,
or that what we have difcover'd can
receive no addition ; and therefore,
- pray let us agree, there are yet many
Things to be done in the Ages to come.
Were you to live a thouiand Years,
fays the Cotmtefs^ I can never believe
you'll fly, but you muft endanger your
Neck. I will not, replfd /, be fo un-
mannerly as to contradi£t a fair Lady ;
but tlio' we can't learn the Art here, t-
hope you v^ill allow they may fly bet-
ter in the Moon ; 'tis no great matter
whether we go to them, or they come
to us, we fhall then be like the Jmtri-
cans^ who knew nothing of Navigati-
on, and yet there were very good S!)ips
at t'other end of the World. Were ic lb,
fajspej in a fort of a Pailion, the Inha-
bitants of the Moon would have been
here before now. All in good timtjajs
L the Europeans were not in Auerka

till

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 67

till about fome Six Thoufand Years •,
they were fo long in improving Navi-
gation to the Point of croiTing the Oce-
an. The People in the Moon have al-
ready made fome fliort Voyages in the
Aiv , they are exercifing continually,
and by degrees will be more expert,
then we fhall fee 'em, and God knows
how we fhall be furpriz'd. It is unfuf-
ferable, fy'j pe, you Ihould banter me
at this rate, and juftifie your ridiculous
Fancy by fuch falfe Reafoning. Vm
going to demonftrate, fa)s /, you Re-
proach me very unjuilly : Confider,
Madam, that the World is unfolded by
degrees ; for the Ancients were very
politive, that the Torrid and Frigjd
Zones were not habitable, by reafon
of their exceflive Heat and Cold ; and
in the time of the Rofnans^ the general
Map of the World was but very little
extended beyond that of their tmj-ire ;
which, tho' in one refpeti, exprefs'd
much Grandeur, in another fenfe, was
a fignof as great Ignorance ; however,
there were Men found both in very hot

and

68 Difcourfes on the

and in very cold Countries, fo that yoii
fee the World is ah^eady increased ; af-
ter t!iat, it was thought that the Oceaa
coverMthe whole Earth, except what
was then difcoverM : There was no talk
then of the Antifodes^ not fo mucli as a
thought of 'em, for who could fancy
their Heels at top, and their Heads at
bottom ? And yet, after all their fine
Reafoning, the Antipodes were diico-
ver'd ; here's now another half of the
World ftarts up, and a new Reforma-
tion of the Map ; methinks this, Ma-
dam, fiiould reftrain us, and teach us
not to be fo pofitive in our Opinions,
the World will unfold icielf more to us
hereafter ; we iliall then know the Peo-
ple in the Moon, as well as we do now
the Antipodes ; but all Things muft be
done in Order, the whole Earth muft
be difcover'd ; and till we are perfeftly
acquainted with cur own Habitation,
we fnall never know that of our Neigh-
bours. Without fooling, y^^'j' the Cotm-
/^^/i", looking earneftly upon me, you are
fo very profound in this Point, that I

begia

Plurality ^/ WORLDS. <Jp

begin to think you are in earneft, and
believe what you fay. Not fo neither,
fays /, but I would fhew you ho vv eafie
it is to maintain a Chimerical Noti-
on, that may perplex a Man of Un-
dcrilanding, but never convince him ;
there is no Perfwafive like Truth, it
has no need to exert all its Proofs,
but enters naturally into our Under-
ftanding ; and when once we have
learn'd it, we do nothing but think of
it. 1 thank you then, Jajspe^ for im-
pofmg on me no longer ; for I confefs
your talfe Reafoning difturb'd me, byt
now I fliall fleep very quietly, if you
think fit to go Home.

:-^^e§lgfeP:®gl®®®^:®^ = P00gJ

The

70 Difcourfes'^^ the

The Third Evening's
Conversation.

Some Particulars concerningthe World
in the Moon, anaTraofsof ttje other
Planets uting lit<eiX'ife h^hahited.

S§^?2J^?f®HE Countefs was fo intent
^ T ^* upon her Notions, that ilie
^^^ s'i^ would fain have engagM me
next Day, to go on where I
left off; but 1 to-d her, iince the Moon
and Stars were become the Subject of
our Difcourfe, we Ihould truil our Chy-
mera's with no body elie : At Night
we went again into the Park, which
was now dedicated to our learned Con-
verfation.

Well, Madam, fays 7, I have great
News for you ; that which I told you
laft Night, of the Moon's being inhabi-
ted

Plurality (7/ WORLDS. 71

ted, may not be fo now : Tliere is a
new Fancy got into my Head, which
puts thoie People in great Danger. I
can't luffer that, fo'sfi^', Yciterday
you were preparing me to receive a
Vilit from 'em, and now there ai*e no
fuch Folks in Nacure: You mail not
trifle wiih me thus ; once you would
have me believe the Moon was inhabit-
erl , I liirmounted the DhUcul.ty I had,
an'i u'fll now bjHcve it. You are a
li' tie too iiimble, r^p^-V /, did'nt I ad-
viic you never to be enrirely conviac'd
in f'hiiigs of this nature, but to re-
fcrve haU'your Underllandiiig free and
difengag'd, that you might admit of a
contrary Opinion, if there fliould be a-
ny oc^afion. I care not for your Sen-
tences, fo)s (he^ let us come to Matter
of Faft. Are we not to confider the
Moon as St. Dennis ? No, fays 7, the
Moon does not fo much refemble the
Earth, as St, Dennis does Paris : The
Sun draws Vapours from the Earth,
and Exhalations from the Water, which
mounting to a certain height in the Air,

do

7 1 DifcouxfQs on the

do there aflemble and form the Clouds ;
thefe uncertain Clouds are driven irre-
gularly round the Globe^ fometimes
ihadowing one Country, .and fome-
times another ; he then who beholds
the Earth from afar off, will fee fre-
quent Alterations upon its Surface, be-
caufe a great Country overcait with
Clouds, will appear dark or light, as
the Clouds ftay, or pafs over it; he'll
fee the Spots on the Earth often change
their Place, and appear or difappear as
the Clouds remove ; but we fee none
of thefe changes wrought upon the
Moon, which would certainly be the
fame, were there but Clouds about her ;
but on the contraiy, all her Spots are
iix'd and certain,and her light parts con-
tinue where they were at firll, which
indeed is a great Misfortune ; for by
this Reafon, the Sun draws no Exhala-
tions or Vapours above the Moon ; fo
that it appears flie is a Body infinitely
more hard, and fohd than the Earth ;
whofe fubtile Parts are eafily feparated
from the reft, and mount upwards as

foon

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 75

foon as Heat puts them in Motion :
But it mull be a heap of Rock and
Marble, where there is no Evaporati-
on 5 befides, Exhalations are fo natu-
ral and necelfary where there is Wa-
ter, that there can be no Water at all,
where there is no Exhalation ; and
what lort of Inhabitants muftthofebc,
whofe Country affords no Water, is all
Rock, and produces nothing? Very
fine, faysjlje^ you have forgot fmce you
afTur'd me, we might from hence di-
ftinguifh Seas in the Moon. Pray,
what is become of your Cffpian Sea,
and your B^ack Lake ? All Conjefture,
Madam, reply^d 7, tho' for your Lady-
fhip's Sake, I am very forry for it 5 for
thofe darlc Places we took to be Seas,
may perhaps be nothing but large Ca-
vities ] 'tis hard to guefs right at fo great
a diltance. But will this fuiSice then,
fajs fie^ to extirpate the People in the
Moon? Not altogether, r^p/jV/, we
will neither determine for, nor againft
them. I muft own my Weaknefs, (if
it be one )fajs fl^e, I can't be fo perfed-
' E ly

74 Difcourfes on the

ly undetermin'd as you would have
me to be, but muft believe one way or
other ; therefore pray fix me quickly in
my Opinion, as to the Inhabitants of
the Moon ; preferve or annihilate them,
as you pleafe ; and yet, methinks I have
a ftrange incUnation for 'em, and would
not have 'em, deftroy'd, if it were pofli-
ble to fave 'em. You know, /ays /,
Madam, I can deay you nothing ; the
Moon fhall be no longer a Defait, but
to do you fervice, we will re-people
her. Since to all appearance the Spots
in the Moon do not change, I can't
conceive there are any Clouds about
-her, that fometimes obfcure one part,
and fometimes another ; yet this does
not hinder, but that the Moon fends
forth Exhalations, and Vapours. Our
Clouds which we fee in the Air, are
nothing but Exhalations and Vapours,
which at their coming out of the Earth,
were feparated into fuch minute Par-
ticles, that they could not be difcern'd ;
but as they afcend higher, they are
condens'd by the Cold, and by the re-
union

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 7^

union of their Parts, are rendered vifi-
ble ; after which they become great
Clouds, which fluftuate in the Air,
their improper Region, till they re-
turn back again in Rain ; however thefe
Exhalations and Vapours, fometimes
keep themfelves fo difpersM, that they
are imperceptible ^ or if they do aflem-
ble, it is informing fuch fubtile Dews
that they cannot be difcern'd to fall
from any Cloud. Now, for that it
is incredible that the Moon is fuch a
Mafs, that all its parts are of an equal
Solidity, all at reft one with another,
and all incapable of any alterations from
the eiBcacy of the Sun : I am fure we
are yet unacquainted with fuch a Body .-
Marble it felf is of another Nature, and
even that which is moft Solid, isfubjeft
to change and alteration ; either from
the fecret and invifible Motion it has
within it felf, or from that which it re-
ceives from without ; It may fo happen
that the Vapours which iifue from the
the Moon, may not alTemble round her
in Clouds, and may not fall back again

E 2 ia

7 6 Difcourfes on the

in Rain, but only in Dews. It is fuffi-
cient for this, that the Air with which
the Moon is environed, (for it is certain
that the Moon is encompafs'd with Air
as well as the Earth) be a little diffe-
rent from our Air, and the Vapours of
the Moon a little different from thofe
of the Earth, which is very probable.
Hereupon the Matter being otherwife
difpos'd in the Moon than on the Earth,
the Effe£ls muft be different ; tho' it is
of no great Confequence whether they
are or no ; for from the Moment we
have found an inward Motion in the
Parts of the Moon, or one produced by
foreign Caufes, here is enough for the
new Birth of its Inhabitants, and a fuf-
ficient and neceffary Fund for their Sul>
fiftance. This will furnifli us with
Corn, Fruit, Water, and what we
pleafe elfe \ I mean according to the
Cuftom or Manner of the Moon, which
I do not pretend to know ; and all pro-
portioned to the Wants and Ufesof the
Inhabitants, with whom I pretend to
be as litde acquainted.

That

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 77

That is to fay, replfd the Countefs^
you know all is very well, without
knowing how it is fo, which is a great
deal of Ignorance upon a very little
Knowledge ; however, I comfort my
felf, that you have giyen the Moon her
Inhabitants again, and have wrapM her*
in an Air of her own, without which a
Planet would feem to me but very
naked.

'Tis thefe two different Airs, fays /,
that hinder the Communication of the
two Planets ; if it was only flying, as I
told you Yefterday, who knows but
we might improve it to Perfection, tho*
I confefs there is but little hopes of it ;
the great diftance between the Moon
and the Earth is a Difficulty not eafily
to be furmounted ; yet were the di-
ftance but inconfiderable, and the two
Planets almoft contiguous, it wouM be
ftill impoffible to pafs from the Air of
the one, 'uuo the Air of the other : The
Water is the Air of FiHies, they never
pafs into the Air of the Birds, nor the
Birds into the Air of the Filli ; and yet

E J \is

r

78 Difcourfes op the

'tis not the diftance that hinders them
but both are imprifonM by the Air they
breath in ; we find our Air confifts of
thicker and grolTer Vapours than the
Air of the Moon. So that one of her
Inhabitants arriv^ig at the Confines of
our World, as foon as he enters our
Air, will inevitably drown himfelf, and
we fhall fee him fall dead on the Earth,
I fhould rejoice at a Wreck, fays the
Countefsy of a good Number of thefe
Ltinar People, how pleafant wouM it be
to fee 'em lie fcatterM on the Ground,
where we might confider at our eafe,
their extraordinary Figures ? But what,
fays /, if they cou'd Iwim on the out-
ward Surface of our Air, and be as cu-
rious to fee us, as you are to fee them ;
fhould they Angle or caft a Net for us,
as for fo many Fifh, would that pleafe
you ? Why not ? Says the Countefs
fmiling ; for my part I would go into
their Nets of my own accord, were
it but for the Pleafure to fee fuch ftrange
Fiihermen*

Confi-

Plurality ^WORLDS. 79

Confider, fays 7, you wouM be very
Sick, when you were drawn to the top
of our Air, for it is not refpirable in all
its extent, as may be feen on the Tops
of fome very high Mountains ; and I
admire that they who have the Folly
to believe that our Fairies^ whom they
allow to be Corporeal, and to inhabit
the moft pure and refin'd Air ; don't
tell us that the Reafon why they give
us fuch lliortand feldom Vifits, is that
there are very few among them that
can dive ; and thofe that can, if it be
poilible to get through the thick Air
where we are, cannot ftay half fo long
in it, as your Diving Fowls can in the
Water. Here then are natural Barri-
cades, which defend the Paffage out of
our World, as well as the Entry into
that of the Moon ; fo thatfince wecaa
only guefs at that World, let us fancy
all we can of it. For Example, I will
fuppofe that we may fee there the Fir*
mament, the Sun, and the Stars, of a-
nother Colour than what they are here;
all thefe appear to us through a kind cf
E 4 JNatu-

8o Difcourfes vn the

Natural Spectacles, which change and
alter the Objefts. Thefe Speftacles are
our Air, mixM as it is with Vapours and
Exhalations, and which does not extend
itfelf very high. Some of our Modern
Philofophers pretend, of itfelf it is blue,
as well as the Water of the Sea, and that
this Colour neither appears in the one
nor in the other, but at a great depth ;
the Firmament, fay they, where the
fix'd Stars are faftned, has no peculiar
Light of its own, and by confequence
muft appear black, but we fee it through
the Air, which is blue, and therefore to
us it appears blue ; which if fo, the
Beams of the Sun and Stars cannot pafs
through the Air without being ting'd a
little with its Colour, and lofing as
much of their own ; yet were the Air
of no Colour, it is very certain, that
through a great Mift the Light of a
Flambeau at fome diftance appears red-
difh, though it be not its true natural
Colour. Our Air is nothing but a great
Mift, which changes the true Colour
of the Sky, of the Sun, and of the Stars ;

it

Plurality ^/WORLDS, 8i

It belongs only to the Celeftial Mattfer
to bring us the Light and Colours as
they really are in all their Purity ; fo
chat fince the Air of the Moon is of a-
nother Nature than our Air, or is
ftain'd of another Colour, or at lead is
another kind of Mirt:, which caufes o-
ther Alterations to the Colours of the
Celeftial Bodies ; in fliort, as to the
People of the Moon, their Speftacles,
through which they fee every Thing,
are chang'd.

If it be fo, fays the Count tf\, I prefer
my abode before that of the Moon ;
for I can't believe the Celeftial Colours
are fo well fuired asthey are here ; for
inftance, let us put green Stars on a red
Sky, they can't be fo agreeable as Stars
of Gold on an Azure Firmament. To
hear you, fays 7, one wou'd think you
was chufing a Petticoat, or a fuit of
Knots; but believe me. Nature does
not want F.ancy *, leave it to her to
chufe Colours for the Moon, and Dl
engage they fha1l be well forted ; fhe
will not fail to vary the Profpe£l of the

e 5 Uni-

ga Difcourfes on the

Univerfe, at evecy different Point of
Sight, and the Alteration flhall always
be very agreeable

I know very well, [ays the Countefs^
her Skill in this Point ; fhe is not at the
charge of changing the Objefts, but on-
ly the Speftacles, and has the Credit of
this great Variety, without being at
any Expence ; with a blue Air, fhe
gives us a blue Firraamejit ; and per-
haps with a red Air, {ho, gives to the
Inhabitants of the Moon a red Firma-
ment, and yet ftill it is but the fame Fir-
mament ; nay, I am of Opinion, fhe has
placM a fort of Speftacles in our Ima-
gination, through which we fee all
Things, and which to every particular
Man change the Objefts. Akxander
look'd on the Earth as a fit Place to e-
ftablifli a great Empire, it feem'd to Cf-
Udon a proper Refidence for AJiraay
and it appeared to a Philofopher, a great
Planet in the Heavens, covered with
Fools : I don't believe the Sights vary
more betv/een the Earth and the Moon,
than they do between one Man's Fan-
cy and anothers. This.

Plurality <?/^ WORLDS. 8?

This change in our Imaginations,y^)'j'
7, is very furprizing ; for they are ftill
the fame Objefts, tho^ they appear dif-
ferent ; when in the Moon we may fee
other Objefts we do not fee here, or at
leaft, not fee all there, we do fee here ;
perhaps in that Country they know no-
thing of the Dawn and the Twilight,
before the Sun rifes, and after the Sun
fets; the Air which encompalfes, and
is elevated above us, receives the Rays^
fo that they can't ftrike on the Earth ;
and being grofs, flops fome of them, and
fends 'em to us, tlio' indeed they were
never naturally defignVi us ; fo that the
Day-break, and the Twilight, are a fa-
vour which Nature beftows on us ; they
are a Light which regularly we fliould
not have, and which flie gives us over
and above our due ; but in the Moon,
where apparently the Air is more pure,
and therefore not fo proper to fend
down the Beams it receives from the
Sun before his rifing, and after his kt-
ting; they have not that Light of Grace
(as I may call it ) wuich grovviug great-
er

84 Difcourfes on the

er by degrees, does more agreeably pre-
pare 'em for the arrival of the Sun, and
which gmwing weaker, and diminifh-
ing by degrees, does infenfibly prepare
'em for the Sun's departure : But they
are in a profound Darknefs, where a
Curtain ( as it were ) is drawn all on a
fudden, their Eyes are immediately
dazled with the whole Light of the
Sun, in all its Glory and Brightnefs ;
fo likewife, they are on a fudden fur-
prizM with utter Darknefs ; the Night
and the Day have no medium between
them, but they fall in a Moment from
one extreme into ti3e other. The Rain-
bow likewife is not known to them in
the Moon ; for if the Dawn is an effett
of the groffnefs of the Air and Vapours,
the Rainbow is form'd in the Clouds,
from whence the Rain falls ; lb that
the moft beautiful Things in the Worid,
are produced by thofe Things which
have no Beauty at all. Since then there
are no Vapours thick enough, nor no
Clouds of Rain about the Moon,
farewell Dawn, adieu Rainbow : What

muft

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 8y

muft Lovers do for Similies to liken
their MiftrelTes to, in that Country,
when fuch an inexhauftible Magazine
of Comparifons is taken from them ?

Nay, I fliall never take the lofs of
their Comparifons much to Heart, fays
the Cotmttfs ; and Ithink'cmwell enough
recompenc'd for the Lofs of our Dawn,
and Rainbow ; for by the fame Reafon,
they have neither Thunder nor Light-
ning, both which are formM in the
Clouds ; how glorious are their Days, the
Sun continually fliining? How pleafant
their Nights, when not the leaft Star is
hid from them ? They never hear of
Storms or Tempefts, which feem plain
Effefts of the Wrath of Heaven. D'ye
think then they ftand in need of our
Pitty ? You are defcribing the Moon,
reply ^ /, like an enchanted Refidence ;
but d'ye think it is fo pleafant to have
a fcorching Sun always over our Head,
where the Days arc fifteen times as long
as ours, and not the leaft Cloud to mo-
derate its Heat ? Tho' I fancy 'tis for
this Reafon that Nature has made

great

8 6 Difcomies on the

great Cavities in the Moon; we can
difcern 'em eafily with our Telefcopes,
for they are not Mountains, but fo ma-
ny Wells or Vaults in the middle of a
Plain ; and what do we know but the
Inhabitants of the Moon, being con-
tinually broil'd by the exceffive Heat
of the Sun, do retire into thofe great
Wells ; perhaps they live no where elfe,
and 'tis there they build ^em Cities ; for
we ftill fee in the Ruins of Old Rcme^
that that Part of the City which was
under Ground, was almoft as large as
that which was above Ground. We
need but take that Part away, and the
reft would remain like one of thefe Lu-
nar Towns ; the who^e People refide in
Wells, and from one Well to another
there are fubterranean Paffages for the
Communication of the Inhabitants. I
perceive you laugh at me, but you are
at your Liberty ; yet to deal freely
with you, you deferve it much better
than I; for you believe the People in
the Moon muft live upon the Surface
of their Plauct, becaufe we do fo upon

* ours.

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 87

ours, but quite contrary, fince we
dwell upon the Superficies of our Pla-
net, they fhould not dwell upon the
Superficies of their Planet ; If things
differ fo much in this World, what
muft they do in anotl:ier ?

'Tis no matter, fays the Countefs^ I
can never fuffer the Inhabitants of the
Moon to live in perpetual Darknefs.
You will be more concerned for 'em,
replfd 7, when I tell you that one of
the* ancient Philofophers did long fince
difcover the Moon to be the Abode of
the bleffed Souls departed out of this Life,
and that all their Happinefs confifted
in hearing the Harmony of the Spheres
which is made by the Motion of the Ce-
lefl:ial Bodies : But becaufe the Philofo-
pher pretends to know exa&ly all they
do there, he tells you, that when the
Moon isobfcur'd by the Shadow of the
Earth, they no longer hear the hea-
venly Mufick, but howl like fo many
Souls in Purgatory ; lb that the Moon
taking Pitty on 'em, makes all the
halle fhe can to gee into the Light

again.

8 8 Difcourfes on the

again. Methinks then, faj's pe, we
fhould now and then fee fome of the
bleffcd Souls arrive here from the Moon,
for certainly they are fent to lis ; and
between the two Planets, fome think,
there is fufficient Provifion made for
the Felicity of Souls, by their Tranfpor-
tation into a new World. I confefs
indeed, fa)'s 7, it would be very plea-
lant to fee different Worlds; fuch a
Voyage, tho' but in Imagination, is ve-
ry delightful ; but what would it be in
EtfeQ: ? It would be much better cer-
tainly than to go to Jcifan^ which at
beft, is but crawling from one end of
the World to t'other, and after all to
fee nothing but Men. Well then, fays
/;<?, let us travel over the Planets as fafl
as we can; what fliould hinder us?
Let us place our felves at all the diffe-
rent Profpects, and from thence confi-
der the Univerfe. But firit, have we
any more to fee in the Moon ? Yes,
reply d /, that World is not yet entire-
ly exhaufted: You remember well that
the two Movements, which turn the
"~ . Moon

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 89

Moon on herfelf and about us, being
equal ; the one always prefents to our
Eyes that Part which the other muft
confequently deprive us of, and fo fhe
always wears the fame Face to us : We
have then but one Moiety of her which
looks on us, and as the Moon muft be fup-
pos'd not to turn on her own Center,
in refpeft to us, that Moiety w^hich
fees us always, and that fixM in the fame
Point of the Firmament. When it is
Night with her, and her Nights arc
equal to fifteen of our Days, fhe at firft
fees but a little Corner of the Earth en-
lightened, after that a larger Spot, and
fo almoft by hourly Gradations, fpread
her Light till it covers the whole Face
of the Earth; whereas thefe fame
Changes do not appear to us to affeft
the Moon, but from one Night to ano-
ther, becaufe we lofe her a long time
out of our Sight. I would give any
thing that I could poffibly divine the aw-
kard Reafonings of the Philofophers
of their World, upon our Earth's ap-
pearing immoveable to them, when

all

5)0 Difcourfes on the

all the other Celeftlal Bodies rife and
fet over their Heads, within the Com-
pafs of fifteen Days. 'Tis plain they
attribute this Immobility to her Big-
nefs, for fhe is forty times bigger than
the Moon, and when their Poets are in
the mind to extol unaftive and indolent
Princes, I doubt not but they take
care to compare their Inactivity to this
Majeftick Repofe of the Earth. How-
ever, this Opinion is attended with one
Difficulty ; they muft very fenfibly per-
ceive in the Moon, that our Earth
turns upon her own Center. For In-
ftance, imagine that our Europe^ AJia^
and America prefent themfelves one af-
ter another to them in little, and in dif-
ferent Shapes and Figures, almoft as
we fee them upon our Ma ps. Now this
Sight muft be a Novelty to fuch Travel-
lers as pafs from that Moiety of the Moon
which never fees us, to t at which al-
ways does. Good God ! How :autious
would they be of believing the Relation
of the firil Travellers, wJio fliould
fpeak of it after their Return to that

great

Plurality ^WORLDS. 91

great Country, to wliich we are fo ut-
terly unknown ? Now I fancy, Jays the
Count efs^ that they make a fort of Pil-
grimage from one Side of their Coun-
try to the other, for their Difquifitions
into our World, and that there are cer-
tain Honours and Priviledges ailign'd
to fuch, as have once in their Lives had
a View of our grofs Planet, At leaft,
reflfd 7, thofe who have had this View
have had the Priv Hedge of being better
lighted, during their Nights, the Refi-
dence in the other Moiety of the Moon
muft of Neceffity be much lefs com-
modious in that Refpeft. But, Madam,
let us continue the Journey we proposed
to take from one Planet to another, for
we have now taken a pretty curious
View of the Mootu

Coming out of the Moon towards
the Sun, we fee Venus^ which puts me
again in mind of St. Dennis \ Venus
turns upon her felf, and round the Sun,
as well as the Moon \ they likewife dif-
cover by their Telefcopes, that Vtnus^
like the Moon (if I may fpeak after

the

pa Difcourfes on the

the fame Manner) is fometimes New,
fometimes Full, and fometimes in th€
Wane, according to the different Scitu-
ations flie is in, in Refpeft of the Earth.
The Moon, to all Appearance, is in-
habited, why fhould not J^enus be fo
too I Yoo are fo full of your Whys,
and your Wherefores, fays (he ^ inter-
rupting me, that I fancy you are fend-
ing Colonies to all the Planets. You
may be certain, fo I will, reflfd 7, for
I fee no reafon to the contrary ; we find
that all the Planets are of the fame Na-
ture, all obfcure Bodies, which receive
no Light but from the Sun, and then
fend it to one another ; their Motions
are the fame, fo that hitherto they are
alike ; and yet if we are to believe that
thefe vaft Bodies are not inhabited, I
think they were made but to little Pur-
pofe ; why fhould Nature be fo partial,
as to except only the Earth ? But let
who will fay the contrary, I muft be-
lieve the Planets are peopled as well as
the Earth. I find, fays (he ^ you have
been very well coafirm'd in your No-
tions

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 93

tionsjthis pretty while : 'Twas but fbme
Moments fince, that the Moon was a
Defart, and you were in no Concern
at it; and at this Inftant, I fee you
would be in a violent Paffion, if any
one fiiould prefume to fay, that all the
Planets are not as well ItockM with
Inhabitants as the Earth. 'Tis true,
fays /, at the Inftant you furpriz'd me
with your Objections, if you had dif.
puted with me, the Inhabitants of the
Planets, I fhould not only have main-/
tain'd their Exiilence, but perhaps like- /
wife have difcours'd to you on their /
Creation, We have our Times fo^be- yi
lieving of Things, and I never believ'd I
them moreiirmiy than at that Jundure :
And even now, and when my Senfes
are fomewhat cooler on the Matter ; I
can't help thinking it would be ftrange
that the Earth fhould be fo well peo-
pled, and the other Planets not inha-
bited at all : For do you believe we
difcover (as I may fayj all the Inhabi-
tants of the Earth ? There are as many
Kinds of invifible, as vifible Creatures ;

we

p4 Difcourfes on the

we fee from the Elephant to the very
Hand- Worm, beyond which our Sight
fails us, and yec counting from that
minute Creature., there are an infinity
of lefler Animals, which would be im-
perceptible, without the aid of GlalTes.
We fee with Magnifying GlalTes that
the leaft Drops of Rain Water, Vine-
gar, and all other Liquids, are full of
little Fillies, or Serpents, which we
could never have fufpefted there ; and
there is fome Reafon to fufpeft, that
the Taftes which thefe little Liquids
gives, proceeds from the Stingings and
Pungency of thofe little Animals on the
Tongue and Palate. Now mingling
certain Things with any one of thefe
Liquors, and expofmg them in the Sun,
or letting them Itand and corrupt, will
produce a new Species of little Animals.
Several, even of the moft folid Bodies,
are nothing but an immenfe fwarm of im-
perceptible Animals, who find for their
refpeftive Motions as much room and li-
berty as they require. Do but confider
this little Leaf p why, it is a great V/orld,

inhabited

Plurality ^/WORLDS, py

inhabited by little invifible Worms, of
a vaft extent, what Mountains, what
Abyflesare there in it? The InfeCts of I
one fide, know no more of their fellow '
Creatures on t'other Side, than you and '
1 can tell what they are now doing at |
the Antipodes : Does it not ftand more I
to reafon then, that a great Planet 1
fliould be inhabited? In the hardeft I
Stones, for Example, in Marble, there
are an infinity of Worms, which fill up
thtVacmmis^ and feed upon the Sub-'
ftance of the Stone ; fancy then Mil-
lions of living Creatures to fubfift ma-
ny Years on a Grain of Sand ; fo that
were the Moon but one continued
Rock, I would fooner allow her to be
gnaw'd by thefe invifible Mites, than
not to be inhabited : In fliort every
Thing is animated ; imagine then thofe
Animals which arc yet undifcover'd,
and add them and thofe which are but
lately difcover'd, to thofe we have al-
ways km^ you will find the Earth
fwarms with Inhabitants, and that
Nature has fo liberally furnilli'd it

with

^6 Difcourfcs on the

with Animals, that Che is not at all con-
cerned forour not feeing above one half
of them : Why then (hould Nature
which is fruitful to an Excefs here, be
fo very barren in the reft of the Planets,
as to produce no living Thing in 'em ? I
muft own, fajfs tioe Counttfs^ you have
convinc'd my Reafoa, but you have
confounded my Fancy, with fuch Va-
riety, that I can't imagine how Nature,
which hates Repetitions, fhould pro-
duce fo many different Kinds. There
is no need of Fancy, reflfd /, do but
truft your Eyes, and you will eafily
perceive hov^ Nature diverfmes in thefe
feveral Worlds.

All Human Faces, in general, are of
the fame Model, and yet the Europe-
am and tiiQ Jfricans have two particu-
lar Moulds, nay, commonly every Fa-
mily have a different Form ; what Se- .
cret then has Nature to fhew fo much f
Variety in the fingle Face ? Our World
in refpeft of die Qniverfe, is but a lit-
tle Familv ; all whofe Faces have fome
Rcfemblance ; in another Planet, there \

is ^

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 97

is another Family, whofe Faces have a
different Air and make, the Difference
too increafes with the Diftance, for who-
foever fhould fee an Inhabitant of the
Moon, and an Inhabitant of the Earth,
would foon perceive they were nearer
Neighbours than one of the Earth, and
one of Saturn : Here, for Example, we
hi3ve the ufe of Voice, in another
\vo Id they fpeak by Signs, and at a
greater Diftance they do not fpeak at
all ; here our Reafon is formM by Ex-
perience, in the next World, Experience
contributes but little towards it; and
in the next to that, old Meil know no
more than Children ; here we ara troub-
led more with what is to come, than
with what is paft ; in the next World
they are more troubled for what's paft,
than what's to come ; and firthei* off,
they are not concerned with cither,
which by the Way, I think, is mucli
the better: Here 'tis thought, we want
a Sixth Senfe, which would teach us
many Things, of which we are now
ignorant ; t'.iis Sixth Senfe is apparently

F in

I

pt Difcour fes on the

in another World, where they want
one of the Five which we enjoy ; nay,
perhaps there is a much greater Num-
ber of Senfes, but in the Partition we
have made of 'em with the Inhabitants
of the other Planets, there are but Five
falPn to our Share, with which we arc
well contented, for want of being ac-
quainted with the reft : Our Sciences
have Bounds, which the Wit of Man
could never pafs ; there is a Point where
they fail us on a fudden, the reft is re-
ferv'd for other Worlds, where fome-
what which we know is unknown to
them. This Planet enjoys the Pleafures
of Love, but lies defolate in feveral Pla-
ces by the Fury of War ; in another Pla-
net they enjoy perpetual Peace, yet in
the midft of that Peace, know nothing
of Love, and Time lies on their Hands ;
in a Word, that which Nature praftifes
here in little, in diftributing her Gifts
^mong Mankind ; fbe does at large in
other Worlds, w^iere fhe makes ufe of
that admirable Secret fhe has to diver-
fifie all Things, and at the fame Time

makes

Plurality ^WORLDS. 99

makes 'em equal, by compenfating for
the inequality.

But is it not time, Madam, to be
ferious, how will you difpofeof all thefe
Notions? Trouble not your felf, fays
Jl:e^ Fancy is a great Traveller ; I al-
ready comprehend thefe feveral Worlds,
and form to my felf their different Cha-
rafters and Cuftoms ; Ibme of 'em, I
affure you, are very extraordinary ; I
fee at this Moment, a thoufand diffe-
rent Figures, tho' I cannot well defcribe
'em. Oh leave 'em, replfd /, to your
Dreams, we fhall know To-morrow
whether they reprefent the Matter
faithfully, and what they have taught
you, in Relation to the Inhabitants of
any of the Planets.

'^l%i'^^5QmO^^^\^-:'^S^S)Si-fQ^^

F 2 The

:ioo Difcourfes en the

The Fourth Evening's
Conversation.

Some PartkuJdrs concerning the World
of Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter,
and Saturn.

®^®^ER Dreams were not very

^ H @ fuccefsful; they ftill repre-

S^®8 fentedtoher,Obieas,fuchas

'^ we are acquainted with here

on Earth \ and I had room to reproach

the Countefs^ as thoie People do us at

the Sight of our regular Piftures, who

themfelves make only wild and gro-

tefque Paintings. Well, fay they, this

is only an Imitation of Men, there is

no manner of Fancy in it. We were

therefore forcM to conclude our felves

, ignorant, what fort of Inhabitants all

thefe Planets had, and content our felves

only

Plurality ^WORLDS. loi

only to guefs at them, and continue
the Voyage we had begun thro' the
Worlds.

We were come to Venus^ and I told
her, that Venus certainly turnM on it
felf, tho' no body could tell in what
Time, and confequently were ignorant
how long her Day lafted ; but her Year
was composed of eight Months, be- .
caufe 'tis in that Time fhe turns round
the Sun; and feeing Venus is forty ^
times lefs than the Earth, the Earth
appears (to them in Ve?ms) to be a Pla-
net forty times bigger than Ve/ius ap-
pears ^0 us Oil the Earth, and as the
Moon is forty times lefTcr than the
Earth, fo flie feems to be juft of the
lame Magnitude, to the Inhabitants of
Viuus^ as Venus feems here to us.

I fee then, fays the Counttf^ that the
Earth is not to Venus^ what Venus is to
the Earth ; I mean, that the Earth is
too big to be the Mother of Love, or
the Shepherd's Star to Venus ^ ; but the
Moon which appears to Venus^ of the
fame bignefs that V^emis appears to us,

F 3 is

loa T>l(com(es on the

is affign'd to be the Mother of Love,,
and Shepherd's Star to Fenus ; for fuch
Names are only proper for a little brisk
airy Planet, bright, and fhining as the
Goddefs herfelf. Oh, blefled Moon,
how happy art thou to prefide over the
Amours of thofe Inhabitants of Venus^
who muft be fuch Masters of Gallan-
try ! Oh, doubtlefs, fays /, the very
common People of Venus are all Cela-^
dons and Silvandersy and their moft tri-
vial Difcourfes are infinitely finer than
any in CleUa. Their very Climate in-
fpires Love : Fenus is much nearer than
the Earth is to the Sun, from whence
fhe receives a more vigorous and aftive
Influence.

I find, fa)'s the Countefs^ it is eafie
enough to guefs at the Inhabitants of
Venus ; they refemble wliat I have read
of the Moors of Granada^ who were a
little black People, fcorch'd with the
Sun, Witty, full of Fire, very Amorous,
much inclined to Mufick and Poetry,
and ever inventing Mafques and Tur-
naments in Honour of their Miftrefles.

Pardon

Plura% ^/WORLDS. 103

Pardon me, Madam, fays 7, you are
little acquainted with the Planet ; Gra-
nada in all its Glory, was a perfect
Greenland to it ; and your gallant
Moorsy in compariibn with that Peo-
ple, were as ftupid as fo many La£}a?i*
ders.

But what d'ye think then of the In-
habitants of Mercury ? They are yet
nearer to the Sun, and are fo full of
Fire, that they are abfolately Mad ; I
fancy they have no Memory at all, no
more than moftof the Negroes; that
riiey make no Refledions, and what
they do is by fudden Starts, and perfect
Hap-hazard; in {hort. Mercury is the
Bedlam of the Univerfe ; the Sun ap-
pears to them much greater than it does
to us, becaufe they are much nearer to
it than we ; it fends them fo vaft and
ftrong a Light, that the moft glorious
Day here, wou'd be no more with
them, than a declining Twilight : I
know not if they can diftinguilh Ob-
jefts; but the Heat to which they are
accumftom'd, is fo exceffive, that they

* F 4 wou'd

104 Difcourfes on^the

wouM be ftarvM with Cold in the Tor-
rid Zone ; their Year is but three
Months, but we know not the exaft
length of their Day, becaufe iV/(?ra^r)' is
fo httlcj and fo near the Sun ; it is, ( as
it were) loft in his Rays, and is very
hardly diicoverM by the Aftronomers ;
fo that they cannot obferve how it
moves on its Center ; but becauie it is
fo fmall, they fancy it compleats its
Motion in a httle Time ; fo that by
Confequence, the Day there is very
ftiort, and the Sun appears to them like
a vaft fiery Furnace at a Httle Diftance,
whofe Motion is prodigioufly fwift and
rapid : This is fo much the better for
them, fince 'tis evident they muft long
for Night ; and during their Night, Ve-
mis and the Earth ( which muft appear
confiderably big) give Light to them:
As for the other Planets which are be-
yond the Earth, towards the JFirma-
ment, they appear lefs to them in Mer-
cury ^^ than they do to us here, and they
receive but little Light from them, per-
haps none at all ; the fixM Stars like-
wife

Plurality 17/ WORLDS. loy

wife feem lefs to them, and fome of 'em
totally diiappear, which, were I there,
I fhould efteem a very great lofs. I
fhould be very uneafie to fee this large
Convex ftudded with but few Stars,
and thofc of the lead Magnitude and
Luftre.

What fignlfies the lofs of a few fix'd
Stars ? Says the Comitefs ; I pity 'em
for the exceflive Heat they endure , let
us give 'em fome relief, and fend Mer-
cury a few of the refrefliing Showers
they have fometimes four Months to-
gether, in the hotteft Countries, during
their greateft Extremity. Your Fancy
is good, Madam, reph\.! I^ but we will
relieve 'em another way : In C/rhra
there are Countries which are extream-
ly hot by their Scituation ; yet, in July
and Augufi are fo cold, that the Riv^ers
are Frozen ; the Reafon is, they are flill
of Salt-Peter, which being exhal'd in
great abundance, by the exceflive heat
of the Sun, makes a perfe£t Winter at
Mid-Summer. We will fill the Uttle Pla-
net with Salt-Peter, and let the Sun fliine

F 5 as

io6 Difcourfes on the

as hot as he pleafes. And yet after all,
who knows but the Inhabitants o( Mer-
cury may have no occafion either for
Rain, or Salt-Peter ? If it is a certain
Truth, that Nature never gives Life
to any Creature, but where that Crea-
ture may live ; then thro^ Cuftom, and
Ignorance of a better Life, thofe Peo-
ple may live happily.

After Mercury y comes the Sun ; but
there is no poffibility of Peopling it, nor
no room left for a Wherefore. By the
Earth which is inhabited, we judge
that other Bodies of the fame Nature
may be likewife inhabited : But the
Sun is a Body not like the Earth, or
any of the Planets ; the Sun^ is the
Scxirce or Fountain of Light, wracli
tho' it is fent from one Planet to ano-
ther, and receives feveral Alterations
by the way, yet all originally proceeds
from the Sun : He draws from himfelf
that precious Subftance which he emits
from all fides, and which reflefts when
it meets with a folid Body, and fpreads
from one Planet to another thofe long.

and

Plurality of WOK LI5S. 107

and vaft Trains of Light which crofs,
ftrike thro\ and intermingle in a thou-
fand different Fadiions, and make ( if
I may fo fay,) the richeft TilTues in
the World. The Sun likewife is placM
in the Center, from whence with moft
Convenience, he may equally diftribute
and animate by his Heat ; it is then a
particular Body, but what fort of Body
has often puzled better Heads than mine.
It was thought formerly a Body of pure
Fire, and that Opinion pafs'd currant
till the beginning of this Age ; when
they perceivM feveral Spots on its Sur-
face. A little after they had difcoverM
new Planets, (of which, hereafter) thefe
fome faid were the Spots; for tliofe
Planets moving round the Sun,^'when
they turnM their Dark half to us, muft
Receflarily hide part of it ; and had not
the Learned with thefe pretended Pla-
nets made their Court before to moft of
the Princes in Euro'j^e^ giving the Name
of this Prince to one, and of that Piince
to another Planet ; I believe they would
have quarrel'd who Ihould be Maftt^r of

thefe

io8 Difcovtrfes on the

thefe Spots, that they might have natnM
them as they pleas'd.

I cannot approve that Notion ; 'twas
but t'^other Day, fays the Count efs^ you
were defcribing the Moon, and call'd
federal Places by the Names of the
mofl: famous Aftronomers. I was
pleas'd with the Fancy ; for fince the
Princes have feiz'd on the Earth ; 'tis
fit the Philofophers (who are as proud
as the beft of 'em) fhould referve the
Heavens for themfelves without any
Competitors. Oh ! Says /, Trouble not
your felf, the Phibfopbers make the
beft Advantage of their Territories ;
and if they part with the leaft Star, 'tis
on very good Terms ; but the Spots on
the Sun are fallen to nothing ; 'tis now
difcover'd that they are not Planets,
but Clouds, Streams, or Drofs, which
rife upon the Sun, fometimes in a great
Quantity, fometimes in lefs ; fometimes
they are dark, fometimes clear, fome-
times they continue a great while, and
fometimes they difappear as long. It
feems the Sun is a Liquid Matter, fome

think

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 109

think of melted Gold, which boils over
(as it were ) continually, and by the
force of its Motion, carts the Scum or
Drofs on its Surface, where it is con-
fumM, and others arife. Imagine then
what ftrange Bodies thefe are, when
fome of them are as big as the Earth :
What a vaft quantity muft there be of
this melted Gold, and what muft be
the Extent of this great Sea of Light
and Fire which they call the Sun ? Ci-
thers fay, the Sun appears,through their
Telefcopes, full of Mountains, which
vomit Fire continually, and are joynM
together like Millions of jt.tna's. Yet
there are thofe who fay thefe burning
Mountains are pure Vifion, caus'd by a
fault in the Spedacles ; but what fliall
we Credit, if we muft diftruft our Telef-
copes, to which we owe the Knowledge
of fo many new Obieds ? But let the
Sun be what it will, it cannot be at all
proper for Habitation ; and what pity
'tis, for how Pleafant wou'd it be ? You
might then be at the Center of the U-
iiiverfe, where you wou'd fee all the

Planets

I 10

Difcoiirfes on the

Planets turn regularly about you ; but
now we know nothing but extravagant
Fancies, becaufe we don't ftand in the
proper Place ; there is but one Place in
the World where the Study or Know-
ledge of the Stars is eafily obtain^, and
what pity 'tis there is no Body there.
You forget your felf fure,/^jj^^, were.
you in the Sun you wouM fee nothing,
neither Planets nor fix'd Stars ; does not
the Sun efface all ? So that could there
be any Inhabitants there, they might
juftly think themfelves the only People
in Nature.

I own, [ays 7, my Miftake ; I was
thinking of the Scituation of the Sun,
and not of the effeft of its Light : I
thank you for your Correction ; but
muft take the boldnefs to tell you, that
you are in an Errour, as well as my
felf ; for were there Inhabitants in the
Sun, they would not fee at all, either
they could not bear the Strength of its
Light, or for want of a due diftance,
they could not receive it ; fo that Things
well confider'd, all the People there muft

be

Plurality ^/WORLDS, in

be ftark blind, which is another Reafon
why the Sun cannot be Inhabited ; but
let us perfue our Voyage. We are now
arrivM at the Center, which is always
the Bottom, or loweft Place of what is
round ; if we go on, we muft afcend ;
we fhall find Mercurj^ Ve?iusy the Earthy
the Moor/^ all the Tlanets we have al-
ready vifited ; the next is Mars^ who
has nothing Curious that I know of ;
his Day is not quite an Hour longer
than ours, but his Year is twice as
much as ours ; he is a little lefs than the
Earth, and the Sun feems not altogether
fo large and fo bright to him, as it ap-
pears to us : But let us leave Marsj he
is not worth our ftay : But, what a
pretty Thing is Jupiter^ with his Four
Moons, or Yeomen of the Guard ; they
are Four little Planets that turn round
him, as our Moon turns round us. But
why, fays fl;e, intermpi/jg me^ mufl
there be Planets to turn round other
Planets, that are no better than them-
felves ? I fhould think it would be more
regular and uniform, that all the Pla-
nets,

1 1 i Difcourfes en the

nets, little and great, without any di-
jftinftion, fliould have one and the fame
'Motion round the Sun.

Ah, Madam, [ays /, if you did but
know what Deflartes'^s Whir pools or
Vortexes were, (whofe Name is terri-
ble, but their Idea pleafant ) you wou'd
not asK as you do. Muft my Head,
faj'spe^ fmilmgy turn round to compre-
hend 'em, or mutt I become a perfect
Fool to ivnderftand the Myfteries of
Philofophy ? Well, let the World fay
what it will, go on with your Whir-
pools. I y^iWy jays 7, and you ftall fee
the Whirpools are worthy of thefe
Tranfports : That then which we call
a Whirpool, or Vortex, is a Mafs of
Matter, whofe Parts are feparated, or
detacliM from one another, yet have
all one uniform Motion ; and at the
fame time, every one is allow'd, or has
a particular Motion of its own, provid-
ed it follows the general Motion : Thus
a Vortex of Wind, or Whirlwind, is an
infinity of httle Particles of Air, which
turn round all together, and involve

whatever

Plurality c/' WORLDS. 1 1 >.

whatever they meet with. You know
the Planets are born up bv the Celeftial
Matter, which is prodigioufly fubtile
and aftive ; fo that this great Mafs, or
Ocean of Celeftial Matter, which flows
as far as from the Sun to the fixM Stars,
turns round, and bears the Planets a-
long with it, making them all turn af-
ter the fame manner round the Sun
who poffelTes the Center : But in a lon-
ger, or a Ihortcr time, according as they
are farther or nearer in diftance to it*;
tliere is nothing to the very Sun, which
does not turn, but he turns on himfelf,
becaufe he is juil: 'm the middle of this
Celeftial Matter ; and you muft know
by the way, that were the Earth in his
Place, it muft turn on it felf, as the
Sun does. This is the great Vortex, of
vyhich the Sun is Lord ; yet at the fame
time, the Planets make little particular
Vortexes, in imitation of that of the
Sun, each of them in turning round the
Sun, does at the fame time turn round
It felf, and makes a certain quantity of
Celeftial Matter turn round it likewife,

which

114 Difcourfes on the

xvhich is always prepared to follow the
Motion the Planet gives it, provided it
is not diverted from its general Motion ;
this then is the particular Vortex of the
Planet, which pufhes it as far as the
ftrength of its Motion reaches : And if
by chance, a leffer Planet falls into the
Vortex of a greater Planet, it is imme-
diately born away by the greater, and
is indifpenfably forcM to turn round it,
tho' at the fame time, the great Planet,
the little Planet, and the Vortex which
enclofes 'em, all turn round the Sun :
'Twas thus at the beginning of the
World, when we made the Moon fol-
low us, becaufe (he was within the
reach of our Vortex, and therefore
wholly at our difpofal : Jupter was
ftronger, or more fortunate than we,
he had Four little Planets in his Neigh-
bourhood, and he brought 'email Four
under his fubjedion ; and no doubt, we,
tho' a principal Planet, had had the
fame Fate, had we been within the
Sphere of his Aftivity ; he is ninety
times bigger than the Earth, and would

certainly

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 1 1 f

certainly have fwallowM us into his
Vortex ; we had then been no more
than a Moon in his Family, when now
wc have one to wait on us ; fo that
you fee the Advantage of Scituation,
decides often all our good Fortune.

But pv^Yj fays fie^ who can affure us
we fhall continue as we do now ? If
we fhould be fuch Fools as to go near
Jupter^ or he fo Ambitious as to ap-
proach us, what will become of us ? For
ili ( as you fay ) the Ceieftial Matter is
continually under this great Motion, it
muft needs agitate the Planets irregu-
larly ; fometimes drive 'em together,
and fometimes feparate'em. Luck is all,
fays I ; we may win as well as lofe,
and who knows, but wc flhould bring
Mercury and l^enus under our Govern-
ment ; they are little Planets, and can-
not refift us ; but in this Particular, Ma-
dam, we need not hope or fear ; the Pla-
nets keep v/ithin their own Bounds, and
are oblig'd ( as formerly the Kings of
China were ) not to undertake new Con-
quefts. Have you not ktn when you

put

1 1 6 Difcourfes on the

put Water and Oyl together, the Oyl
fwims a top ; ^nd if to thefe two Li-
quors,^ you add a very little Liquor,
the Oyl bears it up, and it will not fink
to the Water : But an heavier Liquor,
of a juft Weight, and it will pafs thro'
the Oyl, which is too weak to fuftaia
it, and fink till it comes to the Water,
which is ftrong enough to bear it up ;
fo that in this Liquor, composM of twa
Liquors, which do not mingle, two Bo-
dies of an equal weight, will naturally
alTume two difcrent Places ; the one
will never afcend, the other will never
defcend ; if we put fiill other Liquors,
wliich do not mingle, and throw other
Bodies on them, it will be the fame
Thing : Fancy then that the Celeftial
Matter which fills this great Vortex,
has feveral refting Places, one by ano-
ther, whofe weight are different, like
that of Oyl, Water, and other Liquors ;
the Planets too are of a different Weight,
and confequently every Planet fettles in
that Place whicli has a )ufl: Strength to
fuftain and keep it equilibrate ; fo you

fee

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 117

fee 'tis impoflibie it flioukl ever go be-
yond.

I apprehend very well, fays the Couju
tefs^ that thefe Weights keep their Sta-
tions regularly. Would to God, our
World were as well regulated, and eve-
ry one among us knew their proper
Place. I am now in no fear of being over-
run by Jupiter ; and fince he lets us a-
lone in our Vortex, with our Moon, I
don't envy him the Four which he has.
Did you envy him, replfa /, you would
do him wrong, for he has no more than
what he has occafion for ; at the diftance
he is from the vSun, his Moons receive,
and fend him but a very weak Light ;
it is true, that as he turns upon him-
felf in Ten Hours, his Nights, by con-
fequence, are but Five Hours long ; fo
one would think there is no great occa-
iion for Four Moons, but there are o-
ther Things to be confider'd. Here,
under the Poles, they have Six Months
Day, and Six Months Night, becaufe
the Poles are the two Extremities of
the Earth, the fartheft removM from

thofe

1 1 8 Difcourfcs on the

thofe Places where the Sun is over 'em
in a Perpendicular Line. The Moon
feems to keep almoft the fame Courfe
as the Sun, and if the Inhabitants of
the Pole fee the Sun during one half of
his Courfe of a Year, and during the
other half, don^t fee him at all ; they
fee the Moon likewife during one half
of her Courfe of a Month ; that is, fhe
appea'rs to 'em Fifteen Days, but they
don't fee her during the other half.
Jupiter's Year is as much as Twelve of
ours, fo that there muft be two oppo-
fite Extremities in that Planet, where
their Night and their Day are Six Years
each. A Night Six Years long, is a
little difconfolate, and 'tis for that Rea-
lon, I fuppofe, they have Four Moons ;
that which ( in regard to Jupter ) is
upper moft, finifhes its Courfe about him
in Seventeen Days, the Second in Se-
ven, the Third three Days and an half,
and the Fourth in two and forty Hours ;
and tho' they are fo unfortunate as to
have fix Years Night, yet their Courfe
being exaCtly divided into halves, they

never

Plurality (7/ WQRLDS. up

never pafs above one and twenty Hours,
wherein they don't fee at lead the laft
Moon, which is a great Comfort in fo
tedious a Darknefs ; fo that be where
you will, thefe Four Moons are fome-
times the prettieft fight imaginable ;
fometimes they rife all Four together,
and then feparate according to the ine-
quality of their Courfe ; fometimes
they are all in their Meridian, rang'd
one above another 5 fometimes you fee
'em at equal diftances on the Horizon ;
fometimes when Two rife, the other
Two go down. Oh, how I fhou'd
love to fee their perpetual Sport of E-
clipfes^ for there is not a Day paffes,
but they Eclipfe the Sun, or one ano-
ther ; and they are fo accuftom'd to
thefe Eclipfes in that Planet, that they
are certainly Objeds of Diverfion, and
not of Fear as with us.

Well, fays the Countefs^ I hope you
will People thefe Four Moons, tho'
yoii' fay they are but little fecondary
Planets, appointed to give Light to a-
nother Planet during its Night.. Don't

doubt

1 2.0 Difcourfes on the

doubt it, replfdl^ thefe Planets are not
a jot the worfe to be inhabited, for be-
ing forcM to turn round another Planet
of greater Confequence. I would have
then, firjs /7;^, the People of thefe Four
Moons to be fo many Colonies under
Juyitev^s Government ; they fhould, if
It were poifible, receive their Laws
and Cultoms from him ; and confe-
quently render him a kind of Homage,
and not view his great Planet without
Deference. Would it not be conveni-
ent too^ fays Ij that they fhould.fend
Deputies with Addreffes to him, to af-
fure him of their Fidelity ; for he has
certainly a more abfolute Command
over his Moon, than we have over
ours ; tho' his Power after all, is but
imaginary, and confifts chiefly in mak-
ing 'em afraid ; for that Moon which
is neareft to him, fees that he is three
Hundred and fixty times bigger than
our Moon appears to us ; for in truth,
he is fo much bigger than flie ; he is
alfo much nearer to them, than our
Moon is to us, which makes him ap-
pear

Plurality ^/WORLDS.

121

pear the greater ; fo that this formida-
ble Planet hangs continually over their
Heads, at a very lictic diftance ; and if
the Gauls were afraid heretofore, that
the Heavens would fall on 'em, I
think the Inabitants of that Moon may-
well be apprehenfive that Jupiter will
at fome time or other overwhelm 'em*
I fancy, faj^s //;^, they are poffefs'd with
that Fear, becaufe they are not con-
cern'd at Ecliplbs : Every one has their
peculiar Folly ; we are afraid of an E-
clipfe, and they, that Jul her will fall
on their Heads. It is very true, fays /,
the Inventor of the third Syftem, I told
you of t'other Night, the famous Tkho
B.abe^ ( one of the greatcft Aftronomers
that ever was, ) did not apprehend the
leaft Danger from an EcHpfe, when e-
very Body elfe was under the greateil
Confternation ; but what Apprehenfi*
ons do you think he entertain'd inftead
of them ? This great Man was fo un-
accountably fuperftitious, that if an
-Hare did but crofs him, or an Old Wo-
man bolt upon him firft at his coming
\-..-i. G out^

rtit Dlfcourfes on the

out, he prefently look'd upon his Jour-
ney to be Ominous, fliut himfelf up for
that Day, and would not meddle with
the leaft Bufmefs. It would be very
unreafonable, repl/dfie^ after fuch a
Man could not redeem himfelf from
the Fear of Eclipfes, without falling in- |
to fome other Foible as troublefome,
that the Inhabitants of that Moon of
Jupiter, whereof we were talking,
fliould come off upon eafier Terms :
But we will give them no Quarter ;
they Ihall come under the general Rule,
and if they are free from one Errour,
fhall fall into another to put 'em upon
Equivalent : But as I don't trouble my
felf, becaufe I can't guefs what, pray
clear another Difficulty to me, which
has given me fome Pain for feveral
Minutes. Pray tell me, if the Earth
be fo little in comparifon of Jupiter,
whether his Inhabitants do difcover us ?
Indeed, I believe not, fays I -, for if we
appear to him ninety times lefs than he
appears to us, judge you if there be a-
ny poffibility : Yet this we may reafo-

nably

Plurality ^WOKLDS. 123

nably conjefture, that there are Aftro-
nomers in JupHer^ who after they have
made the moft curious Telefcopes, and
taken the cleareft Night for their Ob-
fervations, may have difcoverM a little
Planet in the Heavens, which they ne-
ver faw before ; if they publifh their
difcovery moft People know not what
they mean, or laugh at 'em for Fools ;
nay, the Philofophers themfelves will
not believe 'em, for fear of deftroying
their own Opinions, yet fome few may
be a little Curious ; they continue their
Obfervations, dilcover the little Planet
again, and are now aflur'd it is no Vi-
fion ; then they conclude it has a Motion
round the Sun, and after a thoufand
Obfervations, find that it compleats this
Motion in a Year ; and at laft, (thanks
to the Learned,) they know in Jupiter
that our Earth is a World, every Body
runs to fee it at the end of the Telei-
cope, tho' 'tis fo little, 'tis hardly dif-
cover'd.

G 2 It

11

1 24 Difcourfes on t

It muft be Pleafant, fays JJye^ to fee |
the Aftronomers of both Planets, level-
ling their Tubes at one another, and
mutually asking, what World is that ?
What People inhabit it ? Not fo faft
neither, re^lfd I\ for tho' they may .
from Jupiter difcover our Earth, yet
they may not know us ; that is, they [
don't in the leaft lufpefl: it is inhabited ; [
and fhould any One there chance to
have fuch a Fancy, he might be fuffi- j
ciently ridicuPd, if not profecuted for
it ; for my part, I believe they have
work enough to make Difcoveries on
their own Planet, not to trouble their
Heads with ours; and it is fo large,
that if they have any fuch Thing as
Navigation, thdv Chnjlo^her Cohmlus^
could never want Employment ; why,
1 warrant you, they have not yet diP,
covered the hundredth part of their. Pla-,
net. But if Mercury is fo little, they
are all (as it were) near Neighbours,
and 'tis but taking a Walk, to go round
that Planet. But if we don't appear
to 'em in Jupt^r^ they cannot certain-
ly

Plurality ^/WORLDS, iiy

ly difcover Fenm and Mercury^ whfch
are much lefs than the Earth, and at a
greater diftance ; but in Heu of it, they
feeM/rj, their own Four Moons, and'
Saturn with his ; this I think is work
enough for their Aflronomers ; and Na-
ture has been fo kind to conceal from-
'em the reft of the Univerfe.

Do you think it a Favour then, fays'
Jhe? Yes certainly, fays /, for there are
fixteen Planets in this great Vortex :
Nature faves us the trouble of ftudying^
the Motions of 'em all, and fliows US'
but Seven, which I think is very ob-
liging, tho' we know not how to va-
lue the Kindnefs, for we have reco-
verM the other Nine which were hid^
from us, and fo render the Science of
Aitronomy much more Difficult than
Nature defign'd it.

If there are fixteen VhnetSy fays JI;e^
Saturn muft have five Moons. 'Tis'^
very tKW^^fays /, and two of thefe five'
are but lately difcover'd ; but there is'
fomewhat that is more remarkable,-
iince his Year is thirty of ours, and

G 3 there

ii6 Difcourfes on the

there are confequently in him Ibm^
Countries, where their Night is fifteen
Years long ; what can you imagine
Nature has invented to give Light, du-
ring fo dreadful a Night ? Why, fhe
has not only given Saturn five Moons,
but ihe has encompafs'd him round
with a great Circle or Ring ; this be-
ing placed beyond the reach of the Sha-
dow, which the Body of that Planet
cafts, refleftsthe Light of the Sun conr
tinually on thofe Places where they
cannot fee the Sun at all.

I proteft, fays the Countefs^ this is ve-
ry furprizing, and yet all is contrived
in fuch great Order, that it is impojlfible
not to think, but Nature took lime to
confider the Neceffities of all Animate
Beings, and that the difpofing of thefe
Moons was not a work of Chance ; for
they are only divided among thofe Pla-
nets which are farthefl dillant from the.
Sun^ the Earthy Jripiter^ Saturn \ in-
deed it was not worth while to give
any to Mercury or Venus^ they have
too much Light already ; and they ac-
count

Plurality ^/WORLDS, i 27

count their Nights (as fhort as they
are ) a greater Blefling than their Day.
But pray, why has not Mars a MoorT-
too ? It feems he has none, tho' he is
much farther than the Earth from the
Sun. It is very true, fays I \ no doubt
but he has other helps, tho' we don't
know 'em : You have feen the Fhof-
fhoms^ both hquid and dry, how it re«
ceives and imbibes tlie Rays of the
Sun, and what a great Light it will
caft in a dark Place : Perhaps Mars has
many great high Rocks, which are fo
many Natural Pbojl^horf^fesj which in
the Day take in a certain provifion of
Light, and return it again at Nights
What think you. Madam, is it not ve-
ry Pleafant, when the Sun is down, to
fee thofe lighted Rocks, like fo many
glorious Illuminations, made without
any Art, and which can do no manner
of Hurt by their Heat ? Befides, there
is a kind of* Bird in America^ that yields
fuch a Light, you may read by it in the '
darkeft Night ; and who knows but
Mars may have great Flocks of thefe

G 4 Birds,

1 2S Difcourfes on the

Birds, that as foon as it is Night, dif-
perfe themfelves into all Parts, and
%read from their Wings another Day.

I am not at all contented, fays Jhe,
with your Rocks, or your Birds; 'tis a
pretty Fancy indeed, but 'tis a fign that
there fhould be Moons in Marsy fince
Nature has given fo many to Saturn
and Jufiter^ and if all the other Worlds
that are diftant from the Stm^ have
Moonsy why Ihould Mars only be ex-
cepted ? Ah, Madam, f^ysl^ when
you are a little more dipM in Philofo-
phy, you will find Exceptions in the
very beft Syftems; there are always
fome Things that agree extreamly well,
but then there are others that ao not
accord at all, thofe you muft leave as
you found 'em, if ever you intend to
make an End : We will do fo by Mars^
if you pleafe, and fay no more of him,
but return to Satunu What d'ye think
of his great Ring, in the Form of a
Semi-Circle, that reaches from one End
of the Horizon to the other, which re-
fleding the Light of the Sun, performs

the

Plurality ^WORLDS. lap

tliC Office of a continual Moon ? And
iTii^n we not inhabit this Ring too,y^^'j-
Pe fmiling ? I confefs, fays /, m the hu-
mour I am in, I could almofl: fend Co-
lonies every where ; and yet I can'f
well plant any there, it feems fo irre-
gular a Habitation ; but for the five lit-
tle Moons, they can't chufe but be in-
habited; tho' fome think this Ring is
a Circle of Moons, which follow clofe
to one another, and have an equal Mo-
tion ; and that the five little Moons fell
out of this Circle ; how many Worlds
are there then in the Vortex oi Saturn ?
But let it be how it will, the People irr
Saturn live very Miferably : 'Tis tr,ue,^
this Ring gives Light to 'em, but it
muft be a very poor one, v/hen the
Sun feems to 'em but a little pale Star,
whofe Light and Heat cannot but be
very weak at fo great a Diftance ; they
fay Greenland is2i perfeQ: Bagnio in com-
parifon of that Planet, and that they
would expire with Heat in our coldefl:
Countries.

G 5 • You

130 Difcourfes on the

You give me, fays Jhe^ fucli an Idea
of Saturn^ that makes me ftiake with
Cold, and that of Mercury^ puts me in-
to a Fever. It cannot be otherwife,
reply d I, for the two Worlds, which
are the Extremities of this great Vor-
tex, muft be oppofite in all Things.
They muft then, fays fie^ be very wife,
in Saturn^ for you told me they were
all Fools in Mercury. If they are not
wife, fays 7, yet they have all the Ap-
pearances of being very Flegmatick :
They are . People that know not what
it is to laugh, they take a Days time to
anfwer the leaft Queftion you can ask
'em ; and are fo very grave, that were
Cato living among 'em, they would
think him a Merry-Andrew.

It is odd to confider, fayspe^ that
the Inhabitants o£ Mercury are all Life,
and the Inhabitants of Saturn quite
contrary ; but among us fome are brisk,
and fome are dull ; it is, I fuppofe, be-
caufe our Earth is placM in the Middle
of the other Worlds, and fo we pai'tici-
pate of both Extreams, there is no

fix'd

Plurality ^/WORLDS, rjr

fixM or determined Charafter; fome
are made like the Inhabitants of Mer^
cury^ fome like thofe of Saturn ; we are
a Mixture of the feveral Kinds that are
found in the reft of the Planets. Why,
fays 7, don't you approve of the Idea ?
Methinks it is pleafant to be composed
of fuch a fantaftical Affembly, that one
would think we were colleflied out of
different Worlds ; we need not travel,
when we fee the other Worlds in Epi-
tome at home.

I am fure, fay s the Count efs^ we have
one great Convenience in the Scituation.
of our World ; it is not fo hot as Mer-
cury and Venns^ nor fo cold as Jupter
or Saturn ; and our Country is fo juftly
plac'd, that we have no Excefs either
of Heat or Cold. I have heard of a
Philofopher, who gave Thanks to Na-
ture that he was born a Man and not
a Beaft, a Greek and not 2i Barbarian;
and for my Part, I render Thanks that
I am feated in the moft temperate Pla-
net of the Uaiverfe, and in one of the
moft temperate Regions of that Planet.

You

r 3 31 Difcourfes on the

You have more Reafon, fays /, to give
Thanks that you are Young and
not Old ; that you are Young and
Handfom, and not Young and Ugly ;
that you are Young, Handfora, and
a French Woman, and not Young,
Handfom, and an ltalia7i ; thefe are
Gther-guefs Subjefts for your Thanks,
than the Scituation of your Vortex, or
the Temperature of your Country.

Pray Sir, faysjhe^ let me give Thanks
for all Things, to the very Vortex in
which I am planted : Our Proportion
of Happinefs is fo very fmall, that v^e
Ihould lofe none, but improve conti-
nually what we have, and be grateful
for every Thing, tho' never fo common
or inconiiderable. If nothing but ex-
quifite Pleafure will ferve us, we muft
wait a long time, and be fure to pay too
dear for it at laft. I willi, fays f that
Philofophy was the Pleafure you pro-
pofe, that when you think of Vortexes
you would not forget an humble Ser-
vant of your Ladyihips. I. efteem it a
Pleafure,. y^^'j/;^, while it diverts me.

with.

Plurality (^/WORLDS. 133

with fomething new, but no longer. I
will engage for it till To-morrow, re-
plfd 7, for the fixM Stars are beyond
what you have yet feen.

gf>:oJ^?2J®i5Ji^J2f-:^^®^gJ^Sf®©^:g}

The Fifth Evening's
Conversation.

That the fix'd Stars are fo many Suns,
every one of which gives Light to a
World.

«^,i,.i,|^HE Countefs was very im-
|l T || patient to know what would
^l¥¥?^> become o^\\\^fix\l Stars ; are
they inhabited, fa^ys fhe^ as
the Planets are, or are they not inha-
bited at all, or in fliort, what {liall we
do with 'em I You may ibon guefs, fays
J, the/z^V Stars cannot be lets diitant
from the Earth than Fifty Millions of
Leagues 5 nay, if you anger an A(iro-

nomer,

154 Difcourfes on the

nomer, he will fet 'em farther. The
Diftance from the Sun to the fartheft
Vianet^ is nothing in Comparifon of the
Diftance from the Smi^ or from the
Earthy to the fix'^d Stars^ it is almoft
beyond Arithmetick. You fee their
Light is bright and fliining, and did
they receive it from the Stm^ it muft
needs be very vi^eak after a Paffage of
Fifty Millions of Leagues ^ then judge
how much it is waft:ed by Reflexion,
for it comes back again as far to us, fo
that forwards and backwards, here are
an Hundred Millions of Leagues for it
to pafs, and 'tis impoffible it fliould be
fo clear and ftrong as the Light of a
fixM Star, which cannot but proceed'
from it felf ; fo that in a Word, all the
fx^d Stars are luminous Bodies in them-
felves, and fo many Sum.

I p^vctivc^ fays the Countefs^ where
you would carry me; you are going
to tell me, that if the fixM Stars are
fo many Suns, and our Sun the Center
of a Vortex that turns round him, why,
may not every fix'd Star he the Center

of

Plurality 0/ W O Fv L D S. 13^

of a Vortex that turns round the fixM
Star? Our Sun enlightens the Planets;
why may not every tixM Star have Pla-
nets to which they give Light r' You
have faid it, reflfdl^ and I will not
contradi£l you.

But you have made the Univerfe fo
targe, Jhj'spe^ that I know not where
I am, or what will become of me ;
what is it all to be divided into Vortexes
confufedly, one among another ? Is e-
very Star the Center of a Vortex, as
big as ours ? Is that vaft Space which
comprehends our Sun and Planets,
but an inconfiderable Part of the Uni-
verfe? And are there as many fuch
Spaces, as there are fixM Stars? I pro-
teft it is dreadful, the Idea confounds
and overpowers me. And for my Part,
re^lfd J, it gives me Satisfadion ; when
the Heavens were a little blue Arch,
ftuck with Stars, methought the Uni-
verfe was too iirait and clofe, I was
almoft {lifted for want of Air ; but now
it is enlargM in Hcighth and Breadth,
and a Thoufand and a Thoufand Vor-
texes

156 Difcourfes on the

texes taken In ; I begin to breath with
more Freedom, and think the Univerfe
to be incomparably more magnificent
than it was before. Nature has fpar'd
no Coft, even to profufenefs, and no-
thing can be fo glorious, as to fee fucli
a prodigious Number of Vortexes, whofe
feveral Centers are poffefsM by a parti-
cular Sun, which makes the very Pla-
nets turn round it. The Inhabitants
of a Planet of one of thefe innumerable
Vortexes, fee on all fides thefe luminous
Centers of the Vortex, with which they
are encompafs'd ; but perhaps they don't
fee the Planets, who receiving but a
faint Light from their Sun, can't fend
it beyond their own World.

You prefent me with a kind of Per-
fpe9:ive of fo vafl: a Length, that no
Eye can reach to the End of it : I plain-
ly fee the Inhabitants of the Earth, and
you have made me difcover thofe who
dwell in the Moon, and in other Pla-
nets of our Vortex ; thefe Inhabitants
indeed I conceive pretty plainly, but I
don't fee 'em fo clearly as thofe of the

Earth :.

Plurality 6/ WORLDS. 137

Earth : After thefe \vt come to the In-
habitants of the Planets which are in
the other Vortexes, but they are funk
into fo great a Depth, that tho' I do
all I can to fee them, yet I muft confefs
I can hardly perceive 'em ; by the Ex-
preffion you uie in fpeaking of 'em,
they feem to be ahnoft annihilated ;
you ought then to call 'em the Inhabi-
tants of one of thofe innumerable Vor-
texes : We our felves, for whom the
fame Expreffion ferves, muft confefs,
that we fcarce know where we are, in
the Midft of fo many Worlds ; for my
own Part, I begin to fee the Earth fo
fearfully little, that I believe from hence-
forth, I fhall never be concern'd at all
for any Thing ; that we fo eagerly de-
fire to make our felves Great, that we
are always defigning, always troubling
■and haralling our felves, is certainly
becaufe we are ignorant what thele
Vortexes are ; but now I hope my new
Lights will in part luftifie my Lazinefs,
and when any one reproaches me with
my Indolence, I will anfwer,, Abj did

you

158 Difcourfes on the

you lut know what the fix^d Stars are !
It was not fit, fays /, that Alexander
Ihould know what they were ; for a
certain Author who maintains that the
Moon is inhabited, very gravely tells
us, that Ariftotle (from \^^hom no
Truth could be long conceal'd) muft
neceffarily be of an Opinion, back'd
with fo much Reafon ; but yet he ne-
ver durft acquaint Alexander with the
Secret, leaft he fhould run mad with
Defpair, when he knew there was ano-
ther World which he could not con-
quer: With much more Reafon then
was this Myiiery of Vortexes and fixM
Stars, kept fecret in Alexandey\ Time,
for tho' they had been known in thofe
Days, yet it had been but an ill Way
of making his Court to have faid any
thing of them to that ambitious Prince;
for my Part, I that know ^em, am not
a little troubled to find my felf not one
Jot the wifer for all the Knowledge I
have of 'em ; the moft they can do, ac-
cording to your Way of Reafoning, is
but to cure People of their Ambition,

and

Plurality of WOKLDS. 139

and their unquiet reftlefs Humour,
which are Difeafes I am not at all
troubled with ; I confefs I am guilty of
fo much Weaknefs, as to be in Love
with what is Beautiful ; that'^s my Di-
ftemper, and I am confident the Vor-
texes can never cure it : What if the other
Worlds render ours fb very little ? They
cannot fpoil fine Eyes, or a pretty
Mouth, their Value is iHU the fime,
in fpite of all the Worlds that can pofli-
bly exift.

This Love^ reflfd the Coun^efs^ fmi-
ling, is a ftrange Thing; let the World
go how 'twill, 'tis never in Danger ;
there is no Syftem can do it any harm.
But tell me freely, is your Syftem true?
Pray conceal noihing from me ; I will
keep your Secret very faithfully ; it
feems to have for its Foundation, but a
flight Probability, which is, that if a
fix'd Star be in it felf a Lumiuoas Body,
like the Sun, then by confcqence, it
muft, as the Sun is, be the Center and
Soul of a World ; and have irs Planets
turning round about it: Butis there an

abfolute

140 Difcourfes on the

abfolute neceffity it muft be fo ? Hear mey
Madam, [ays 7, fince we are in the hu-
mour of mingling Amorous Follies with-
our moft ferious Difcourfe, I muft telF
you, that in Love and the Mathema-
ticks, People reafon alike : Allow never
fo little to a Lover, yet prefently after
you muft grant him more ; nay, more
and more ; which will at laft go a great
way : In like manner, grant but a Ma-
thematician one little Principle, he im-
mediately draws a Confequence from it,^
to which you muft neceffarily affent ;
and from this Confequence another, tiff
he leads you fo far (whether you will of
n^p) that you have much ado to believe
him. Thefe two forts of People, Lovers
and Mathematicians, will always take
more then you give 'em. You grant,
that when two things are like one ano-
ther in all vifible refpeSs, it is pofEble
they may be like one another in thofe
Refpects that are not vifible, if you have
not fome good Reafon to believe other-
wife : Now this way of arguing have
I made ufe of. The Moon, [ays /, is

inhabited,

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 141

inhabited, becaufe fhe is like tke Earth ;
and the other Planets are inhabited, be-
caufe they are like the Moon ; I find
the fixM Stars to be like our San, there-
fore I attribute to them what is proper
to that : You arc now gone too far to
be able to retreat, therefore you muft
go forward with a good Grace. But,
jays toe Couittfi^ if you build upon this
Refemblance, or Likencfs, which is be-
tween our Sun and the fix'd Stars, then,
to the People of another great Vortex,
our Sun muft appear no bigger than a
fmall fixM Star, and can be ktn only
when 'tis Night with them. Without
doubt. Madam, fays /, it muft be fo :
Gur Sun is much nearer to us, than the
Suns of other Vortexes, and therefore
its Light makes a much greater Impref-
fion on our Eyes than theirs do : We
fee nothing but the Light of our own
Sun ; and when we fee that, it darkens
and liinders us from feeing any other
Lights but in another great Vortex,
there is another Sun, which rules and
governs ; and, in its turn, extinguiflies

the

142, Difcourfes on the

the Light of our Sun, which is never
feen there but in the Night, with the
reft of the other Suns, that is, the fix'd
Stars ; with them our Sun is faftned to
the great arched Roofof Heaven, where
it makes a part of fome Bear or Bull :
For the Planets which turn round a-
bout it, ( our Earth for Example ) as
they are not feen at fo vaft a Diftance,
fo no Body doth fo much as dream of
'em : All the Suns then are Day Suns
in their own Vortexes, but Night
Suns in other Vortexes: In his own
World or Sphere every Sun is fingle,
and there is but one to be feen ; but
every where elfe, they ferve only to
make a Number. May not the Worlds,
reply d the Cotintefs^ notwithftanding
this great Refemblance between 'em,
differ in a thoufand other Things ; for
tho' they may be alil^e in one Particu-
lar, they may differ infinitely in Others.
It is certainly true, fays I ; but the
Difficulty is to know wherein they dif-
fer. One Vortex has many Planets
that turn round about its Sun ; another

Vortex

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 145

Vortex has but a few : In one Vortex,
there are inferior or lefs Planets, which
turn about thofe that are greater ; in
another perhaps, there are no inferior
Planets ; here, all the Planets are got
round about their Sun, in form of a lit-
tle Squadron, beyond which, is a great
void Space, which reaches to the Neigh-
bouring Vortexes : In anothei* Place,
the Planets take their Courfe towards
the outfide of their Vortex, and leave
the middle void. There may be Vor-
texes alfo quite void, without any Pla-
nets at all ; others may have their Sun
not exaftly in their Center ; and that
Sun may fo move, as to carry its Pla-
nets along with it : Others may have
Planets, which in regard of their Sun,
afcend, and defcend, according to the
change of their Equilibration, which
keeps them fufpended. In iliort, what
Variety can you willi for ? But, I think,
I have faid enough for a Man that was
never out of his own Vortex.

It is not fo much, rej^lfd the Conn-
'tefsj confidering what a 'Multitude of
^- World

144 D'ifcomfes on the

Worlds there are ; what you have faid
is fufficient for five or fix, and from
hence I fee Thoufands.

What wouM you fay, Madam, if I
fliould tell you, there are many more
fix'd Scars than thofe you fee ? And
that an infiiiite Number are difcover'd
with GlalTes, which are not Perceptible
to our Eye-fight : In only one Conftel-
lation, where, it may be, we count
twelve or fifteen, there are as many to
be found as ufually appear in the whole
Hemifphere.

I {ubmky fays the Count efs^ and beg
your Pardon : You quite confound me
with Worlds and Vortexes. Oh, Ma-
dam, I've a great deal more to tell ye,
reply dl^ you fee that whitenefs in the
Sky, which fome call the Milky-way ;
can you imagine what That is ? 'Tis
nothing but an infinity of fmall Stars,
not to be feen by our Eyes, becaule
they are fo very little ; and they are
fown fo thick, one by another, that
they feem to be one continued White-
nefs : I wifh you had a„Glafs, to fee

this

Plurality (7/ WORLDS- 14^

this Ant'HHl of Stars, and this Cltifter
ofH^orlds^ if I may fo calPem : They
are in fame fort, Hke the Maldivy
Iflands : Thofe twelve thoufand Banks
of Sand, feparated only by narrow-
Channels of the Sea, which a Man may
as eafily leap over as a Ditch : So near
together are the Vortexes of the Milk)''
way^ that I prefume, the People in one
World, may talk, and fhake Hands
with thofe of another ; at leaft I believe
the Birds of one World, may eafily fly
into t'other ; and that Pidgeons may be
trained up to carry Letters, as they do
in the Levant, Thefe little Worlds
are excepted out of that general Rule,
by which one Sun in his own Vortex,
as foon as he appears, effaces the Light
of all other foreign Suns : If you were
in one of thefe little Vortexes of the
Milky-way, your Sun v/ould not be
much nearer to you, and confequently,
w^ould not make any much more fenil^
ble Impreffion on your Eyes, than a
hundi'ed Thouiand other Suns of the
neighbouring Vortexes ; You w^ould

H t!im

i^S Difcourfes on the

then fee your Heaven fhine bright
with an infinite Number of Fires, clofe
to one another, and but a little diftant
from you ; fo that tho' you fliould lofe
the Light of your own particular Sun,
yet there would ftill remain vifible
Suns enough befide your own, to make
your Night as light as Day, at leaft, the
difference would hardly be perceiv'd ;
for the Truth is, you would never have
any Night at all : The Inhabitants of
thefe Worlds, accuftomM to perpetual
Brightnefs, would be ftrangely afto-
nifh'd, if they fhould be told that there
are a miferable fort of People, who,
where they live, have very dark Nights,
and when 'tis Day with them, they ne-
ver fee more than one Sun ; certainly
they would think Nature had very lit-
tle Kindnefs for us, and would tremble
with Horrour, to think what a fad
Condition we are in.

I don't ask you, fajs the Countefs^
whether in thofe Worlds of the Milky-
way^ there are any Moons ; I fee they
would be of no ufe to thofe principal

Planets

Plurality (/WORLDS. 147

Planets which have no Night, and move
in Spaces too ftrait and narrow to cum-
ber themfelves with the Baggage of in-
feriour Planets : Yet pray take Notice^
that by your Hberal Multiplication of
Worlds, you have ftarted an Ob|e£lion,
not eafily anfwer'd : The Vortexes
whofe Suns we fee, touch the Vortex
in which we are ; and if it be true, that
Vortexes are round, how then can fo
many Bowls, or Globes all touch one
fmgle one ? I would fain imagine how
this may be done, but cannot reconcile
it to my felf.

Madam, fays J, You fliew a great
deal of Wit, in raifing this Doubt, and
likewife in not being able to refolve it ;
for in itfelf the Thing is extreme Diffi-
cult, and in the fame manner you con-
ceive it^ no anfwer can be given to it ; '
and he muft be a Fool, who goes about
to find Anfwers to Obje£lions which
are unanfwerable. If our Vortex had
the form of a Dye, it would have fix
Squares or flat Faces, and would be far
from being round ; and upon every one

H 2 of

148 D'ifcoiuks on the

of thefe SquarcSj might be placM a
Vortex of the fame Figure ; but if in-
ftead of thefe fix Square Faces, it had
Twenty, Fifty, or a Thoufand ; then
might a thoufand Vortexes be plac'd
upon it, one upon every Flat ; and, you
know very well, that the more flat Fa-
ces any Body has on its outfide, the
nearer it approaches to roundnefs, juft
as a Diamond cut Face-wife on every
fide, if the Faces be very many and
little, it will look as round as a Pearl of
the fame bignefs : 'Tis in this manner,
that the Vortexes are round ; they have
an infinite number of Faces on their
outfide, and every one of 'em has upon
it another Vortex ; thefe Faces are not
all equal and alike ; but here, fome are
greater, and there, fome lefs : The lead
Faces of our Vortex, for Example, an-
fwer to the Milhwa}'^ and fuilain all
thofe little Worlds. When two Vor-
texes are fupported by the two next Flats
on which they ftand, if they leave be-
neath any void Space between tbem, as-
it mull often happen, Nature^ who is

an

Plmality ^/worlds. 149

« an excellent Hufwife, and fufFers no-
thing to be ufelefs, prefently fills up
this void Space with a little Vortex or
two, perhaps with a Thoufand, which
never incommode the others, and be-
come one, two, or a thouiand Worlds
more ; fo that there may be many more
Worlds than our Vortex has flat Faces
to bear 'cm : I will lay a good Wager,
that tho' thefe little Worlds were made
only to be thrown into the Corners of
the Univerfe, which other wife would
have been void and ufelefs ; and tho^
tiiey are unknown to other Worlds
wliich they touch, yet they are well
fitisfy'd with their being what they
are : Thefe are the little Worlds, whofe
Suns are not to be difcover'd but with a
Telefcopc, and whofe Number is pro-
digious : To conclude, all thefe Vor-
texes are joinM to one another in fo ad-
mirable a manner, that every one turns
round about his Sun, without changing
Place ; every one has fuch a turn as is
moft eafie, and agreeable to its own
Scituation : They take hold of one ano-^
H J ther,'

I 50 Difcourfes on the

ther, Tike the Wheels of a Watch, and
mutually help one another's Motion :
And yet 'tis true, that they aQ: contra-
ry to one another. Every World, as
fome fay, is like a Foot-Ball, made of a
Bladder, coverM with Leather, which
fometimes fwellsofits own accord, and
would extend it felf, if it were not hin-
dred. But this fwelling World being
prefs'd by the next to it, returns to its
firft Figure ; then fwells again, and is
again deprefs'd ; and fome affirm, that
the Reafon why the fixM Stars give a
twinkling and trembling Light, and
fometimes feem not to fliine at all, is
becaufe their Vortexes perpetually pufh
and prefs our Vortex, and ours again
continually repulfes theirs.

I am in love with thefe Fancies, y^jj-
floe Count tfs'^ I am pleas'd with thefe
Foot-Balls, which fwell every Moment,
and fink again, and with thefe Worlds,
which are continually ft riving and pufh-
ing one another : But above all, I am
pleas'd to fee how this joftling keeps up
the Trade of Light, which is certainly

the

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 151

the only Correfpondence that is be-
tween them.

No, no, Madam, fays I ; Light is not
their fole Commerce; the Nighbouring
Worlds fometimes fend Vifits to us, and
that in a very magnificent and fplendid
manner : There come Comets to us
from thence, adorn'd with bright fhin-
ing Hair, Venerable Beards, or Maje-
ftick Tails ; thefe, fays the Qoiintefs^ are
Embaffadors, whofe V ifits may be well
fpared, fince they ferve only to fright
us. They fcare only Children, [ays /,
with their extraordinary Train ; but in-
deed, the Number of fuch Children is
n jw a days very great. Comets are no-
thing but Planets, which belong to a
Neighbouring Vortex, they move to-
wards the out-fide of it ; but perhaps
this Vortex being differently prefs'd by
thofe Vortexes which encompafs it, a-
bove, it is rounder than below, and the
lower Part is ftill towards us. Thefe
Planets which have begun to move in a
Circle above, are not aware, that belaw
their Vortex will fail 'em, becaufe it is

H 4 as

1 5* 2. Difcourfes on the

as it were broken. Therefore, to conti-
nue the Circular Motion, it is neceffary
that they enter into another Vortex,
which we will fuppofe is ours, and that
they cut through the outfides of it.
They appear to us very high, and are
much higher than Saturn ; and accord-
ing to our Syftem, it is abfolutely ne-
ceffary they iliould be fo high, for Rea-
fons that fignifie nothing to our prefent
Subjeft. From Saturn downwards to
the otherfide of our Vortex, there is a
great void Space without any Planets.
Our Adverfaries often ask us, to what
purpofe this void Space ferves ? But let
them not trouble themfelves any more,
I have found a ufe for it. 'Tis the
Apartment of thofe ftrange Planets,
which come into our World.

I underftand you, fayspe^ we don't
fuffer them to come into the Heart of
our Vortex, among our own Planets,
but we receive them as the Grand Seig-
nior dots the Embaffadours that are Tent
to him ; he will not fhew them fo much
Refped as to let 'eni lodge in Con/Ianti-

noj^hj

Plurality e/" WORLDS, in

nophj but Qiiaiters 'em in one of the
Suburbs of the City : Madam, fays /,
we, and the Ottomans agree likewife in
this, that as we receive EmbaiTadours,
but never fend any, fo we never fend a-
ny of our Planets into the Worlds that
are next us.

By this, fays fie^ it appears that we
are very proud ; however, I don't yet
very well know what I am to believe.
Thefe foreign Planets with their Tails
and their Beards have a terrible Counte-
nance, it may be they are fent to affront
us ; but ours that are of another Make,
if they fliould get into other Worlds,
are not fo proper to make People a-
iraid.

Their Beards and their Tails, Ma-
dam,/^w /, are not real, they are P/;^-
nomena^ and but meer Appearances.
Thefe foreign Planets differ m nothino-
from ours ; but entringinto our Vortex,
they feem to us to have Tails or Beards
by a certain fort of Illumination which
they receive from the Sun, and which
has not been yet well explained. Eu :

H 5 'tis

154 Difcourfes On the

'tis certain, that is but a kind of Illu-
mination, and when I am able I will
tell you how 'tis done. I wifli then,y^j^.f
Jhe^ that our Saturn would go take a
Tail and a Beard in another Vortex,
and fright all the Inhabitants of it.
That done, I would have him come
back again, leaving his terrible Accou-
terments behind him, and taking his
ufual Place amongft our other Planets,
fall to his ordinary Bufinefs. 'Tis bet-
ter for him, fays /, not to go out of our
Vortex. I have told you how rude
and violent the Shock is, when two
Vortexes joftle one another, a poor Pla-
net muft needs be terribly fhaken, and
its Inhabitants in no better Condition.
We think our felves very unhappy when
a Comet appears, but 'tis the Comet
that is in an ill Cafe. I don't believe
that, fays Jhe^ it brings all its Inhabi-
tants with it in very good Health ;
there can be nothing fo diverting as to
change Vortexes. We that never go
out of our own, lead but a dull Life ;
ii the inhabitants of a Comet had but

the

Plurality (7/ WORLDS, ijj

the Wit to forefee the Time when
they are to come into our World, they
that had already made the Voyage,
could tell their Neighbours beforehand
what they would fee, they could tell
them, that they would difcover a Pla-
net with a great Ring about it, mean-
ing our Satwnt ; they would alfo fay,
you fhall fee another Planet which has
four little ones to wait on it ; and per-
haps fome of them, refolvM to obferve
the very Moment of their entring into
our World, would prefently cry out, A
new SuHj a new SuUy as Sailors ufe to
cry, Landj Land.

You have no reafon then, fays 7, to
pity the Inhabitants of a Comet, yet I
fuppofe you will think their Condition
lamentable, that inhabit a Vortex whofe
Sun comes in Time to be quite extin-
guilhed, and confequently who hve m
Eternal Night. How, crfd the Coun-
tefiy can Suns be put out ? Yes, with-
out doubt, fays /, for People fome thou-
fand Years ago iaw fix'd Stars in the
Sky, which are now no more to be

feenj

I J (5 Difcourfes on the

feen; thefe were Suns which have loft
their Light, and certainly there muit be
a ftrange Defolation in their Vortexes,
and a general Mortality over all the
Planets, for what can People do with-
out a Sun ? This is a difmal Fancy, fays
the Count efsy I would not, if I could help
it^ let it come into my Head, I will tell
you, if you pleafe, r^p/)V7, whatisthe
Opinion of Learned Aftronomers as to
this Particular: They think that the
lix'd Stars which have difappcar'd, are
not quite extinguifh'd, but that they
are half Suns, that is, they have one half
Dark, and the other half Light, and
turning round upon their own Axis or
Center, they fometimes fliew vis their
Light fide, and afterwards turning to us
their Dark fide, we fee them no more.
To oblige you, Madam, I will be of
this Opinion, becaufe it is not fo harfh
as the other, tho' I cannot make it good
but in relation to fome certain Stars,
becaufe as fome .have lately obferv^d,
thofe Stars have their regulated times
of appearing, and difappearing, other-
wife

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. 1^7

wife there could be TiO fuch things as
half Suns. But what fliall we fay of
Stars, which totally difappear, and ne-
ver fliew themfelves again after they
have finilh'd their Courfe of turning
round upon their own Axis ? You are
too juft, Madam, to oblige me to be-
lieve that Stars are half Suns. How-
ever, I will try once more what I can
do in favour of your Opinion : The
Suns are not extinft, they are only
funk fo low into tlie immenfe depth of
Heaven, that we cannot poffibly fee
them ; in this Cafe the Vortex follows
his Sun and alPs well again. 'Tis true
that the greateft Part of the lix'd Stars
have not this Motion, by which they
remove themfelves fo tar from us, be-
caufe at other times they might return
again nearer to us, and we Ihould fee
them fom.etimes greater, and fome-
times lefs, which never happens. But
we will fuppofe that none but the little
Light, and moil: active Vortexes which
flip between the others, make certain
Voyages, after vyhich they return again

while

158 Dilccurfes on the

while the mRin Bo iy of Vortexes re-
main unmoved. Tis likewiie very
jftrange that fome lix'd Stars Ihew
themfelves to us, fpending a great deal
of time in appearing, and difappear-
ing, andatlaft, totally and entirely dif
appear. Half Suns would appear again
at their fet and regulated Time. But
Suns, which fl^ould be funk low into
the depths of Heaven, would difappear
but once, and not appear again for a
vaft fpace of Time. Now, Madam,
declare your Opinion boldly : Muft not
thefe Stars, of neceflity be Suns, which
are fo much darkned, as not to be vifi-
ble to us, yet afterwards fhine again,
and at laft are wholly extinft ? How
can a Sun,y^jj the Count e^s^ be darkned
and quite extinguifh'd, when it is in
its own Nature a Foundation of Light ?
It may be done. Madam, fays 7, with
all the Eafe in the World, if D.fcartts\
Opinion be true that our Sun has Spots ;
now wdiether thefe Spots be Scum ou
thick Milts, or what you p'eafe, they
may tliicken and unite, till at lait they

cover

Plurality of WORLDS, i y 9

cover the Sun with a Cruft, which
daily grows thicker, and then farewel
Sun. We have hitherto fcap'd pretty
well; but 'tis faid, that the Sun for
fome whole Years together has looked
very pale ; for Example, the Year af-
ter C^far\ Death; it was this Cruft
that then began to grow, but the Force
of the Sun broke through, and diffipated
it ; had it continued, we had been all
loft People. You make me tremble, re^
fly* d the Count tfs^ and now I know the
fatal Confequences of the Sun's Pale-
nefs, I believe inftead of going every
Morning to the Glafs, to fee how I
look my felf, I fhall caft my Eyes up
to Heaven, to fee whether or no the
Sun looks pale. Oh, Madam, fays 7,
there is a great deal of Time requir'd
to ruin a World. I grant it, fays Jhe^
yet 'tis but Time, that is requir'd. I
confefs it, fays 7, all this immenfe Mafs
of Matter that compofes the Univerfe,
is in p<irpetua! Motion, no Part of it ex-
cepted ; and fince every Part is mov'd,
you may be fure that Changes muft

happen

1 60 Difcourfes on the

happen fooner or later ; but ftill m
times proportioned to the Effcft. The
Ancients were pleafant Gentlemen, to
imrJginet'iit the Celeftial Bodies werein
their own iNiature unchangeable, bccaufe
they ob.^rv'd no Alteratioa in them ;
but thty did not live long enough to
CO -firm their Opinion by their own Ex-
perience ; they were Boys in compari-
fon of us. Give me leave. Madam, to
explain my felf by an Allegory : IfRofes,
which laft but a Day, could write Hi-
ftories and leave Memoirs one to ano-
tlier, and if the firft Rofe iliould draw
an exaO: Picture of liis Gardiner, and
after fifteen Thoufand Rofe-Ages, it
Ihould be left to other Rofes, and fo
on ftill to thofe that fliould fucceed,
without any change in it ; (laould the
Rofes hereupon fay, we have every
Day feen the fame Gardiner, and in the
Memory of Rofes, none ever fav/ any
Gardiner but this \ he is ftill the fame
he was, and therefore certainly he will
die, as we do, for there is no Change
at all in him. Would not thefe Roles
Madam, talk very foolifiily ? And yet

there

Plurality ^WORLDS. i6i

there would be more reafon in their
Difcourfe, than there was in what the
Ancients faid concerning Celeftial Bo-
dies ; and though even to this very Day
tliere ftould appear no viiible Change
in the Heavens, and the Matter, of
which they are made, fl^.ould have all
the Signs of an Eternal Duration, with-
out any Change ; yet I would not be-
lieve 'em unchangeable, till I had the
.Experience of many more Ages. Ought
we, who laft but a Moment, to m.ake
our Continuance the menfurate Dura-
tion of any other Being? 'Tis not fo
eafie a matter to be Eternal, To Iiave
lafted many Ages of Men, o.ie after
another, Is no Sign of Immortality.
Truly, fj)>s the Countefs^ I find the
Worlds are far from being able to pre-
tend to it ; I will not do 'em fo much
Honour, as to compare 'em to the
Gardiner that hv'd fo much longer than
the Rofes : I begin to think 'em like the
Roles themfelves, which blow one Day,
and die the next : For now 1 under-
ftand, that if old Stars dilappear, new

ones

i6i Difcourfes on the

ones will come in their Room, becaure
every Species muft preferve it felf. No
Species, Madam, fays /, can totally pe-
rifh ; fome perhaps will tell you that
fuch new Stars are Suns, which return
to our Sight again, after they have been
a long Time hid from us, in the Pro-
fundity of Heaven : Others may tell you
they are Suns cleared from that thick
Cruft, which once cover'd them : If I
fhould think all this poflible, yet I Hke-
wife believe that the Univerfe may be
fram'd in fuch a Manner, that from
time to time it may produce new Suns ;
why may not that Matter which is
proper to" make a Sun, be difpers'd here
and there, and gather it felf again at
long run, into one certain Place, and
lay the Foundation of a New World?
I am very much inclin'd to believe fuch
new Produftions, becauie they fuit
with that Glorious and Admirable Idea
which 1 have of the Works of Nature.
Can we think that wife Nature knows
no more than the Secret of making
Herbs and Plants live and die by a con^

tinual

Plurality (^/WORLDS. 163

tinual Revolution ? I am verily per-
fwaded, and are not you fo too, Madam,
that Nature, without much Coft or
Pains, can put the fame Secret in Pra-
ftice upon the Worlds ? I now find, fays
the Count efs^ the Worlds, the Heavens,
and Celeftial Bodies fo fubjecl to change,
that I am come to my felf again. To
recover our felves the better, re^lfdlj
let us fay no rnore of thefe Matters.
We are arriv'd at the very Roof and
Top of all the Heavens ^ and to tell
you whether there be any Stars beyond
it, you mufthave an abler Aftronomer
than I am; you may place Worlds
there, or no Worlds, as you pleafe :
'Tis the Philofopher's Empire to def-
cribe thofe vaft invifible Countries,
Mdiich are, and are not, or are fuch as
he pleafes to make 'em : It is enough
for me to have carried your Mmd^ as
far as you can fee with your Eyes.

Well, I have now, fays the Countefsj
the Syftemof the Univerfeinmy Head;
How learned am I become? Indeed,
Madam, fays 7, you are pretty know-
ing,

1^4 Difcour fes on the

ing, and with this Advantage, of be-
lieving or disbelieving any thing I have
faid ; all the Recompence I defire for the
Pains I have taken, is, that you would
never look upon the Sua^ the Heaven^
or the Stars J without thinking on me.

The Sixth Evening's

C O N V E R S A T I 0 iN".

[ Never before Tranflated. ]

Some New Obfervations which confirm
thoj'e in the ^rec€eaingY)\izo\x\{i:'>> and
fever al late Difcoveries which have
been made in the Heavens,.

0@SJ^5 T was a ^confiderable Time
^ I f! fince the Countefs and I had
%W^^i any Talk of the Ha?ietary
Worlds ; and it was fo' long
indeed, that we began to forget we
ever had held any Difcourfe on that

Subjefl:.

Plurality ^/WORLDS. i6j

Subjeft. When I went one Day to
Vilit her, I came in juft as two Gentle-
men of Wit and CharaQier in tlie
World had taken their leaves of her.
Well ! jajs pe, the very Moment flie
perceived. me, you fee what a Vifit I
have been receiving ; a.nd, I proteft, it
has given me fome room to fufpetl that
it has been in your Pov/er to impofe
upon my Judgment. I fliould be very
Proud, Madam, reflfd 7, if I eould
flatter my felf with inch a Power, be-
caufe I look upon it to be the hardeft
Task any one could attempt. As hard
as it is,/./j J the Count efs^ I am afraid you
have done it. Ido not know how it came
about, but theConverfation turn'd upon
the Plurality of Worlds with my two
Friends who are jufl: gone.: I am not
certain, if they did not introduce the
Difcourfe with ij. Malicious Defign.
I made no fcruple to tell them direclly,
that all the Planets were Inhabited ;
one cf them replyVl, he was very well
fatisfied I did not believe a W^ord of it,
and I with all the Simplicity imaginable,

maintaifi'd

i66 Difcourfes on the

maintained, that it was my real Opini-
on ; he ftill look'd upon it as a piece of
Diflimulaiion defignM to divert the
Company : And I thought what made
him fo pofitive that I did not believe
my own Sentiments was, tliat he had
too high an Opinion of me to conceive
that I could entertain fo extravagant a
Notion. As for the other Gentlemen,
who had not altogether that Efteem
for me, they took me at my Word. For
God's ake, why did you put a Thing
in my Head, which People that value
me cannot think I maintain feriouflyf
Nay, Madam, fays 7, but why would
you maintain it ferioufly among a fet
of People, who, I am fure, never en-
tered into a way of Reafoning which
had the leaftcaft of Serioufnefsf Muft
we intruft the Inhabitants of the Pla-
nets fo highly ? We Hiould content our
felves with being a little felecl Number
of Advocates for them, and not com-
municate ou\: Mjfteries to the Vulgar.
How ! fays the Comitefs^ do you call
my two'^laft Vifitants the Vulgar?

They

Plurality (?/ WORLDS, l6^

They may have Wit enough, fays /,
but they never Reafon at all. And
your Reafoners, who are a fevere fet of
People, will make no DiiBculty of
for ting them with the Vulgar. On the
other Side, thefe Men of Fire revenge
themfelves by ridiculing theReafoners ;
and think it is a very )ull Principle in
Nature, that every Species defpifes
what it wants. It were right, if it
was poffibic, to conform our felves to
every Species ; and it had been much
better for you to have rallied on the In-
habitants of the Planets with your two
Friends, bccaufe they are better at Rail-
lery than Reafoning, which they never
make Ufe of : You had then come off
with their joint Eiteem ; and the Pla-
nets had not loft a fmgle Inhabitant by
it. Would you have had me facrifice
the Truth to a Jell ! refly'^d the Coun-
tefs : x4ind is that all the Confcience
you have f I own to you, fays /, that I
have no great Zeal for thefe forts of
Truths, and I will facrifice them with
all my Soul to the laft conveniencies of

Com-

1(5 S Difcoiufcs on the

Company. For Inftance, I fee what is,
and always will be, theReafon, why
the Opinion of the Planets being Inha-
bited, is not received fo probable as it
really is : The Planets always prefent
themfelves to our View as Bodies which
emit Light ; and not at all like great
Plains and Meadows. We fliould
readily agree that Plains and Meadows
were Inhabited ; but for-Luminous Bo-
dies to be fo too^ there is no Ground to be-
lieve it. Reafon may come and tell us
over and over, that there are Plains and
Meadows in thefe Planets, but Reafon
comes a Day too late; one Glance of
our Eyes has had its Effefl. before her,
we will not hear a Word flie fays, the
Planets muil: be Luminous Bodies, and
what fort of Inhabitants fliould they
)iave ? Our Imagination of Courfe
w^ould prefently reprefent their Figures
to us, it is what ihe cannot do, and
the iliortettWay is to believe there are no
fuch Beings. Would you have me for
tlie Ertabliiliment of thefe Planetary
People, whofe Interefts are far from

touching

Plurality (?/ WORLDS. itSp

touching me, go to attack thofe formi-
dable Powers, caird Senfes and Imagi-
nation ? It is an Encerprize would re-
quire a good Stock of Courage, and
we cannot eafily prevail on Men, to
fiibltitute their Reaton in the Place of
their Eyes. I Sometimes meet with
reafonable People enough, who are
willing, after a Thoufand Demonftra-
tions, to believe that the Planets are fo
many Earths : But their Belief is not
fuch as it would be, if they had not
feen them under a different Appearance ;
they ftill remember the firft Idea they
entertained, and they cannot well re-
cover themfelves from it. It is thefe
fort of People, who, in believing our
Opinion, feem to do it a Courtefie, and
only favour it for the Sake of a certain
Pleafuoe which its Singularity gives
them.

Well, fays the Countefs, interrupting
me, and is not this enough for an Opi-
nion, which is but barely probable?
You would be very much furpriz'd,
fajs 7, if I fhould tell you, frolahle is
y a very modeft Term. Is it fimply pro-
1 I bable

170 Difcourfes on the

bable that fuch a one as Alexander ever
was? You hold it very certain that
there was, and upon what is this Cer-
tainty founded ? Becaufe you have all
the Proofs which you could defire in a
like Matter, and there does not the
leaft Subjed for Doubt prefent it felf,
to fufpend or arreft your Determina-
tion ; for elfe you never could fee this
Alexander^ and you have not one Ma-
thematical Demonftration that there e-
ver was fuch a Man, Now what
would you fay if the Inhabitants of the
Planets were almoft in the very fame
Cafe ? Wc cannot pretend to make you
fee them, and you cannot infift upon
die Demonftration here, as you would
mic Mathematical Queftion; but you
have all the Proofs you could defire in
a like Matter : The entire Refemblance
of the Planets with the Earth which
is inhabited, the ImpofTibility of con-
ceiving any other Uie for which they
were created, the Fecundity, and Mag-
nificence of Nature, the certain Re- ^
gards fhe feems to have had to the Ne- 1
ceifities of their Inhabitants, as in

giving

Plurality ^WORLDS. 171

giving Moons to thofe Planets remote
from the Sun^ and more Moons ftill to
thofe yet more remote ; and what is
ftill very material, there are all things
to be faid on this fide, and nothing on
the other ; and you cannot comprehend
the leaft Subjeft for a Doubt, unlels
you will take the Eyes and Underftand-
ing of the Vulgar. In fliort, fuppofing
that thefc Inhabitants of the Planets
really are, they could not declare them-
felves by more Marks, or Marks more
fenfible ; and after this you are to con-
fider whether you are willing not to
take their Cafe to be more than purely
probable. But you would not have me,
replies the Countefs^ look upon this to
be as certain as that there was fuch a
Man as Jlexander'? Not altogether,
Madam, fajs I, for tho' we have as ma-
ny Proofs touching the Inhabitants of
the Planets, as we can have in the Sci-
tuation we are, yet the Number of
thefe Proofs is not great. I muft re-
nounce thefe Planetary Inhabitants, re-
' fjiesjhey interrupting me, for I can't
conceive how to rank 'em in my Ima-

I 2 ginationj

ri 7-2 "^Difcwurfes en the

gination ; there is no abfolute Cei-
rtainty of them, and yet there is more
than a Probability; fo that Fm con-
founded m my Notions. Ah, Madam,
'fays J, never put your felf out of conceit
with them for that ; the moft common
and ordinary Clocks ftiew the Hours,
but thofc are wrought with more Art
and Nicity which fhew the Minutes.
Juft fo your ordinary Capacities are fen-
fible of the Difference betwixt a Am-
ple Probability, and a compleat Cer-
tainty; but 'tis only your fine Spirits
that difcern the exatl Proportions of
Certainty or Probability, and can mark,
if I may ufe the Phrafe, the Minutes
\x\ their Sentiments. Now place the
Inhabitants of the Planets a little below
Alexander ; but above, 1 can't tell ho^V
many Points of Hiftory which are not
fo clearly proved : I believe this.Pofition
will do well. I love Order, [ays the
Countej'sy and you oblige me in ranging
my Ideas for me : But pray, why didn't
you take this Care before ? Becaufe^/^jj*
/, Ihould you believe the Inhabitants
of the Planets either a little more or lefs

than

Plurality ^/ W O R L D S. 17 5 •

than they deferve, there will be no
great Damage in it. Fm fure that you
don't believe the Motion of the Earth
fo fully as it ought to be believ'd ; and
have you much Reafon to complain on
that Score ? O! For that matter, re*
flies (1)6^ I have difcharg'd my felf well,
you have nothing to reproach me with
on that Account, for I firmly believe
that the Earth turns. And y^t^fays I^
Mada m, I ha ve not given you the fl I'ong-
ell: Reafons in proving it. Ah ! Tray-
tor, repl/es the CouMcfs^ to make me
believe things upon feeble Proofs : Then^
you did not think me worthy of believ-
ing upon fubrtantial Reafons f I only
prov'd things, fays /, upon little enga-
ging Reafons, and fuch as were a-
dapted to your peculiar Ufe : Should
I have conjur'd up as ftrong and
folid Arguments, as if I had been to
attack a Dodor in the Science ? Yes,
fays the Cormtefs^ pray take me for a
Do£tor from this Moment, and let me
have your additional Demonftrations of
the Earth's moving.

I ? Withal

174 Difcourfes on the

Withal my Heart, fays 7, Madam,
and I own the Proof pleaies me ftrange-
ly, perhaps becaufe I think it was of
my own finding ; yet it is fo good and
natural, that I muft not prefume pofi-
tively to have been the Inventor of it :
It is moft certain, that if a learned Man
was puzled, and defirM to make Re-
plications to it, he would be oblig'd to
hold forth at large, which is the only
Method in the World to confound a
learned Man. We muft grant, that
all the Celeftial Bodies, in four and
twenty Hours, turn round the Earth,
or that the Earth turning on it felf, im-
parts this Motion to all the Celeftial
Bodies, But that they really have this
Revolution in four and twenty Hours
round the Earth, is a Matter which has
the learft Appearance in the World, tho'
the Abfurdity does not prefently appear
to our View. All the Planets certain-
ly make their great Revolution about
the Sun , but thefe Revolutions of theirs
are unequal according to the Diftances
of the refpeftive Planets from the Sun ;
for the moft remote ones make their

Courfe

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 17?

Courfe in a larger Time, which is moft
agreeable to Nature : The fame Order
is obferv'd among the little fecondary
Planets in turning about a great one.
The four Moons of Jufiter^ and the
five of Saturn^ make their Circles in
more or lefs Time round their great
Planet, according as they are more or
lefs remote. Befides, it is certain that
the Planets have Motions upon their
own Centers, and thefe Motions like-
wife are unequal ; we cannot well tell
how to account for this Inequality, whe-
ther it proceeds from the different Mag-
nitudes of the Planets, or on the diffe-
rent Swiftnefs of the particular Vor-
texes which inclofe them, and the li-
quid Matters in which they are fuftain'd ;
but, in fiiort, the Inequality is moft
undoubted ; and fuch is the Order of
Nature in general, that whatever is
common to many things, is found at
the fame Time to vary in fome diiferent
Particulars.

I underftand you, fays the Countefs^
interrupting me, and, I think, there's
a great deal of Reafon in what you fay ;

1 4 Tm

I 76 Difcourfes on the

Ym entirely of your Mind, if the Pla-
nets turn'd about the Earth, they wou'd
do it in unequal Spaces of Time, ac-
cording to their Diftances, as they do
about the Sun : Is not that the Mean-
ing of what you were faying ? Exaftly,
Madam, fays /, their unequal Diftances,
w^ith refpefb to the Earth, their difte-
rent Magnitudes, and the different Ra-
pidity of the particular Vortexes in-
clofing them, fliould confequently pro-
duce Differences in their pretended Mo-
tion round the Earth, as well as in all
their other Motions. And the fix'd
Stars which are at fuch a prodigious
Diftance from us, and fo much elevated
above every thing that can take a ge-
neral Motion round us, at leaft which
are fcituated in a Place whence this Mo-
tion fhould be very much weaken^,
would there not be a very great Appea-
rance that they did not turn at all a-
bout us in four and twenty Hours, as
the Moon does who is fo near us ? And
fhould not Comets, which are Strangers
in our Vortex, and which run Courfes
fo differing one from another, and with

fuch

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 177

fuch unequal Rapidity, be excusM from
turning round us in the fame Space of
four and twenty Hours ? But no Mat-
ter, fix'd Stars, and Comets, and all
muft turn round the Earth in four and
twenty Hours ; yet, if there were fome
Minutes of Difference in thefe Motions,,
we might be contented; and they all
muft make them with the moft exaft
Equality, or rather the only exafl; Equa-
lity which is in the World, and not one
Minute more or Icfs allowM. In Rea-
ality, this Matter is ftrangely to be fuf-
pefted.

Oh ! fays the Countefs^ fince 'tis pof-
fible that this grand Equality fliould be
only in our Imagination, I'm entirely
coavinc'd it is deriv'd only from thence :
Fm very well pleas'd, that any which
is againft the Genius of Nature, Hiould
fall entirely upon our felves, and that
flie fliould ftand difcharg'd, tho' at our
Expence. For my part, fays 7, Fm
fuch a Foe to a perfect Equality, that
I cannot even allow that all the Turns
which the Earth every Day makes on
her feif, fliould be precifely in four and

I 5 twentv

r 78 Difcourfes 6n the

twenty Hours, and always equal one
to another ; I fliould be very much in-
clin'd to think that there are Differences.
Differences ! cry'*d the Count efs^ Why,
do not our Pendulums mark an entire
Equality ? Oh^fays lyto your Pendulums
I muft objeft, for they cannot be al-
together juft ; and fometimes when they
are, in fliewing us that one Circuit of
twenty four Hours, is longer or fliorter
than another, we fliould rather be in-
clin'd to believe them irregular, than to
fufpeQ; the Earth of any Irregularity in
her Revolutions. What a pleafant Re-
fpeO: is this we have for her, I would no
more depend on the Earth than on a
Pendulum ! And the very fame Cafual-
ties almoft which will difbrder the one,
will make the other irregular / Only, I
believe, there muft be fome more Time
allowed for the Earth, than a Pendulum,
to be vifibly put out of Order; and
that's all the Advantage we can give
on her fide. But might fhe not by
Degrees draw nearer to the Sun ? And
there finding herfelf in a Scituation,
where the Matter is more agitated, and

tlie
tfi

Plurality ^/WORLDS. 179

the Morion more rapid, flie will inlefs
Time make her double Revolution both
about the Sun and her felf ; fo confe*
quently her Years and Days will be
much Ihorten'd, but not to be perceiv'd,
becaufe we muft ftill go on to divide
the Years into three hundred and fixty
five Days, and the Days into twenty four
Hours : So that without living longer
than we now do, we fliall live more
Years ; and on the other Hand, as the
Earth fhall withdraw from the Sun,
we fliall hve fewer Years than we do
now, and yet have our Lives of the
fame Extent. There is a great deal
of Probability, fajs the Count efs^ that
whenever it fails out fo, long Succef-
fions of Ages will make but very little
Differences. I agree with you, Madam,
repfd 7, the ConduQ: of Nature is
very nice, and flie has a Method of ■
bringing about all Things by Degrees,
v/hich are not fenfible, but in very ob-
vious and eafie Changes : V/e are fcarce
able to perceive the Change of the Sea-
fons, and for fome odiecs which are
made with a certain Deliberation, they

do

1 8 o Difcourfes on the

do not faii to efcape our Obfervance.
However all is in a perpetual Whirl,
and not lb much as the Ladies Face in
the Moon, which was difcover'd with
Telefcopes, within this twenty Years,
but what is grown confiderably old.
She had a good tolerable Countenance,
but now her Cheeks are funk, her Nofe
grown long, and her Chin and Fore-
head meet, fo that all her Graces are
vaniOi'd, and Age has made her a ter-
rible Speftacle,

What a Story do you tell me, fays
the Countefs^ interrupting me ? 'Tis no
Impofition, Madam, reflfd /, they
have perceiv'd in the Moon a particular
Figure which had the Air of a Wo-
man's Head jetting out of Rocks, and it
is owing to fome Changes that have
happenM there. Some Fieces of Moun-
tains have moulderM away, and left us
to difcover three Points, which can on-
ly ferve to make up the Forehead, Nofe,
and Chin, of an old Woman. Well,
faysfj^e^ but dotf t you think it is fome
Deftiny that had a particular Spite to
Beauty ? And very )uftly it was this

Female-

Plurality ^/WORLDS. i8i

Female-Head, which flie would attack
above all the Moon, Perhaps in Re-
compence, repf^: Jy the Changes which
happen upon our Earth. drcxS out ibme
Face, which the People in the Moon
fee; I mean fomethijig like what we
conceive a Face in the Moon ; for eve-
ry Oiie beftows on Objcfls thofe Ideas
of which they themfelves are full.
Our Altronomers fee on the Surface of
the Moon, the Faces of Women, and
ma\^ be, if the Ladies were to make
thejr Speculations, they would difcern
the Refembiance of fine Mens Faces.
For my Part, Madam, I don't know
whether I fliould not fancy your Lad^-
fhip's Charms there. I proteft, faysjhe^
I can't help being oblig'd to any One
who Hiould find me there. But to
come back to what you were mention-
ing juft now : Do any confiderable
Changes affeft the Eartk ? In all Ap-
pearance they do, reflfd I : Our Fa-
bles tell us, that Hercules with his
Hands fJDlit afunder the Two Moun-
tains, call'd Calfe and oAbild, which
ftand betwixt Jfrick and S^ain^ ftop'd

the

1 S 2 Difcourfes on the

the Ocean from flowing there, and that
immediately the Sea rufh'd with Vio-
lence over the Land, and made that
great Gulph which we call the Medi-
terranean. Now this is not wholly fa-
bulous, but a Hiftory of thofe remote
Times, which has been difguis'd, either
from the Ignorance of the People, or
thro' the love they had for the Mar-
vellous, the two moft ancient Frailties
of Mankind. That Hercules fhould
feparate two Mountains with his two
Hands, is abfolutely incredible ; but
that in the time of one Hercules or o-
ther, for there were Fifty of that Name,
the Ocean fliould force down two
Mountains, not fo ftrong as others m
the World, and perhaps thro^ the Affift-
anceoffome Earthquake, and fo take
his Courfe betwixt Euro-pe and Afrkkj
gives me no manner of Pain to believe.
What a notable Spot might the Ltmar
Inhabitants all on the fudden difcover
on our Earth j for you know, Madam,,
that Seas are Spots. It is no lefs the
common Opinion, that SicHy was dii-
joya'd from //-^yy and C)2rus from<S}'-

ria :

Plurality^/ WORLDS. 185

ria : There are fometimes new Iflands
formed in the Seas: Earthquakes have
fwallowM up Mountains, others have
rofe and have altered the Courfe of the
Planets. The Philofophers give us Ap-
prehenfions, that the Kingdoms of
Naples and Sicily^ which are Coun-
tries laid upon great fubterranean Vaults,
full of Sulphur, will one day fink in,
when thofe Vaults ftall no longer be
able to refift the Flames which they
contain, and at this time exhale at
Vents, to wit^ Vefuvius and Mt7ta. Is
not here enough to diverfify the Sight
which we give to the People in the
Moon?

I had much rather, fays the Coun-
tefs^ that we difgufted them with the
fame Objeft always, than diverted
them with the fwallowing up of Pro-
vinces.

I don't know, reflfd /, if within
this little time there have not beenfe-
veral burnt up in Jupiter. What, Pro-
vinces burnt up Wjufiter! Cries the
Cowitefs, uppn my Word, that wou'd
be confiderable News. Very confide-

rable,

184 Difccurfes on the

rable, fays J, Madam : We have re^
mark'd this Year in Juttter a long
Trail of Light, more glaring than the
reft of tlrat Planet's Body. We have
here had Deluges, perhaps they may
have futFerM great Conflagrations in
Jupiter : How do we know to the con-
trary ? 'Jupiter is Ninety Times big-
ger than the Earth, and turns on his
one Center in Ten Hours, whereas we
dOii't turn in lefs than four and twenty,
which implies that his Motion is two
hundred and fixteen times ftronger than
ours. May it not be poffible, that in
fo rapid a Circulation, its moft dry and
combuftible Parts fliould take fire as
we fee the Axle-trees in Wheels, from
the force of Motion, will perfeftly
flame? But however it is, this Light
of Jtpiter is by no means comparable
to another, which in all Probability is
as Ancient as the World, and yet we
have never feen it. How does a Light
order it to be conceaPd, fays the Coun-
tef ? There muft be fome lingular Ad-
drefs to compals that Point.

This

Plurality I?/ WORLDS. i8?

This Light, re^lfdl^ never appears
but at Twilight, which is often ftrong
enough to drown it ; and even when
Twilight fufFers it to appear, either the
Vapours of the Horizon rob us ot it,
or it is fo very fajnt and hard to be per-
ceiv'd, that for want of Exaftnefs ia
our Knowledge, we miftake it for the
Twilight. But, infliort, forthefelaft
fixteen Years, they have with much
Certainty diftinguiflVd it ; and it has
been for fome Time the Delight of the
Aftronomers, whofe Curiofity wanted
waking by fome Novelty, and they
could not well have been more touched,
if they had difcoverM fome new fecon-
dary Planets. The too latter Moons
oiSi^durn^ for Inftance, did not ravifll
Y them to that Degree which the Guards
or Moons of Jupiter did : But now we,
j are fully accuftomM to it ; we fee, one
I Month before, and after, the Vernal
Equinofliial, when the Sun's fet and tlie
Twilight over, a certain whitifh Light
refembling the Tail of a Comet. We
fee the fame before Sun rife, and before

the

1 8 d Difcourfes on the

the Twilight, tOM^ards the Autumnal
Equinoftial; and towards the Winter
Solftice we fee it Night and Morning,
except at thefe Times it can't, as I but
now obferv'd, difengage it felf from
the Twilights, which are too ftrong
and lafting ; for we fuppofe it to be a
continued Light, and in all Probability
it is fo. We have begun to conjefture
that it is produced from fome prodigi-
ous Qiiantity of Matter crowded toge-
ther, which circles round the Sun to a
certain Extent : The greateft Part of
his Rays pierce thro' this grofs Circuit,
and come down to us in a right Line;,
but fome refting on the inner Surface of
this Alatter, are from thence refiefted
to us, and come with the direct Rays,
or elfe we can't have them either Morn-
ing or Evening. Now as thefe refleft-
ed Rays are fliot from a greater Height
than thofe wiiich are dire£t, we muft
confequently have them fooner, and
keep them longer.

On this foot, I muft acquiefce m
what I have already mentioned, that

the

Plurality (7/ WORLDS. 187

the Moon muft have no Twilight for
want of being fur rounded by fuch a
grofs Air as the Earth, But fhe can
be no lofer ; her Twilights will pro-
ceed from that kind of grofs Air which
furrounds the Stin^ and reflexs his Rays
on Places which his direfl ones can-
not reach. But pray let me know, [ays
the Countefs^ are not there Twilights
fettled for all the Planets, who will not
need every one to be Cloathed with a
diftind grofs Air, becaufe that which
furrounds the Sun alone, may have one
general EfFed for all the Planets in the
Vortex? I am mighty willing to think
that Nature, agreeable to that Inclina-
tion which I know fhe has to Oecono-
my, and good Management, fhould
make that finglc means anfwer her
purpofe: Yet, replfd 7, notwithftand-
ing that fuppoi'd Oecomony, fhe
muft have, with Refped to our Earth,
two Caufes for Twilight ; one where-
of, which is the thick Air about the
Sun, will be pretty Ufelefs^, and can
only be an Objed of Curiofity for the

Academy

1 8 8 Difccurfes on the

Academy Students : But not to conceal
any thing, it is pofliblc that only the
Earth fends out from herfelf Vapours
and Exhalations grofs enough to pro-
duce Twilights, and that Nature had
reafon to provide by one general Means
for the Neceflities of all the other Pla-
nets, which are, if I may fo fay, of a
purer Alould, and their Evaporations-
confequently more Subtle. We are
perhaps thofe among all the Inhabi-
tants of the Worlds in our Vortex, who
requirM to have a more grofs and
thick Air given us to breath in. With
what Contempt would the Inhabitants
of the other Planets confider us, if they
knew this ?

They would be out in their Reafon-
ing, fays the Cauiitcfs^ we'rt not to be
deipisM for being wrap'd about with a
thick Air, fmcethe Sun himfelf is fo fur-
rounded. Pray tell me, is not this Air
produc'd by certain Vapours, which
you have formerly told me iffued from
the Sun, and does it not ferve to break
the firft force of his Rays, which had

elfe

Pluiality ^/WORLDS. 189

elfe probably been to Excefs? I conceive
that the Siin may be veird by Nature,
to be more proportionM to our ufe. Well,
Madam, rcpifa /, this is Ibme fmall
opening to a Syftem which you have
itarted very happily. We may add,
that thefc Vapours may produce a kind
iof Rain, w^hich falling back upon the
Sun may cool and refreJh it, as we fome-
times throw Water into a Forge, when
the Fire is too fierce. There is nothing
which we may not prefume to help out
Nature's Addrefs, but (he has another
kind of Addrefs very particular, which
is to conceal her felf from us, and we
fhould not willingly be confident that
we have found out her Method of act-
ing on her Defigns in it : In cafe of
New Difcoveries, we fliould not be too
importunate in our Reafonings, tho' we
are always fond enough to do it ; and
your true Philofophers are Hke Ele-
phants, who as they go, neVer put their
fecond Foot to the Ground, till their
firft be well fix'd. The Comparifon
feems tiae more juft to me, fry s fie ^ as

the

ipo Difcourfes on the

the Merit of thofe two Species of Ani-
mals, Elephants and Philofophers, does
not at all confift in Exterior Agreements.
I am willing to miftake the Judgment
of both ; now teach me fome of the lat-
ter Difcoveries, and I promife you not
to make any rafh Syftems.

I'll tell you, Madam, replfd 7, all
the News I know from the Firma-
ment, and I believe the frefheft Advices
you can have. I am forry they are
not as furprizing and wonderful, as
fome Obfervations which I read t'other
Day in an Abridgment of the Chinefe
Annals, written in Lati:^ and pub-
hfh'd lately. They fee a Thoufand Stars
at a Time, which fall from the Sky into
the Sea with a prodigious Noife, or are
diflblv'd, and melt into Rains; and thefe
are Things which have been feen more
than once in China. I met with this
Obfervationattwo feveral Times pretty
diftant fronieach other, without reckon-
ing a certain Star which goes Eafiward^
and burfts hke a Squib, always with
a great Noife. it is great Pity that

thefe

Plurality ^/WORLDS, ipt

thefe fort of Ph^nominas fhould be re-
fervM for China^ and that our Coun-
tries fhould never have their Share of
thefe Sights. It is not long fince our
Philofophers thought they might affirm
on good Grounds, That the Heavens and
all the Celeftial Bodies were Incorrupti-
ble, and therefore incapable of Change ;
and yet at the fame time,there vi^ere other
Men in the other part of the Earth who
favv Stars diifolve by Thoufands, which
muft produce a very different Opinion.
ViUtjfays the Comittfsj did we ever hear
it allow'd that the Cbinefe were fuch
great Aftonomers? 'Tis true, we did
not, fays /, but the Chine f have an Ad-
vantage from being divided from us by
fuch a prodigious Traft of Earth, as the
Greeks had over the Romans by being fo
much Prior in Time: Diftances of every
fort pretend a Right of Impofmg on us.
In Reality, I think ftill more and more,
that there is a certain Genius which
has never yet been out of the Limits of
Europe, or at leaft not much beyond
them : perhaps he may not be permitted

to

J pa Difcourfes on the

to fpread over any great Extent of the
Eartii aconce, and that Ibme fatality pre-
fcrib^:> him very na rrow Bounds. Let
us indulge him w^hilit we have him ^ the
belt of it is, he is not fetter'd up to
the Sciences and dry Speculations, but
launches out with as much Succefs into
Subiefts of Pleafure, in which Point I
queftion whether any People equal us.
Thcfe are Subjefts, Madam, that
ought to give you Entertainment, and
make up your whole Syjhm of Thilo-
fo^hy.

o.3e:c5^^3r^^.cQt5Q^i)$r/-^s^^

FINIS.